Shredded hearts
by vixon l
Summary: They had forced his hand, making him sacrifice his own humanity to survive. Many years later, Yolie recieves a call that sounds so much like Ken. But she soon becomes the captive of a new digimon, one that has every intention of keeping her forever.
1. Prologue

vixon: this is very depressing. Fanfiction took my story off because they said there was a chapter violation when I know for a FACT that there wasn't. I wasn't sure if it was my school computer that messed up or if it was them so I wrote them an e-mail, stupidly on my part, through chapter violation to ask what was going on and ultimately they removed the story.

I am so mad over that and have to go back and re do the spell check. It won't take me too long to all the chapters back up, that is, if they haven't put me on some sort of probation for a while.

I am so sorry. The saddest part for me is that the reviews are gone too, so please send me more so I feel better. Thank you. For this, I will post a brand new chapter.

Summery: he just disappeared, never to be seen again. At least...not as ken anymore. They had forced his hand, making him sacrifice his own humanity to survive. Many years pass, and Yolie has lost the spark ever since that dreadful day. Life without ken felt so...empty, until she received a strange call from her D-tectore. It sounded almost like ken... in trouble, calling for her. Then hawkmon is taken prisoner by some new threat in the digital world, all thanks to a certain fallen angel digimon named... senmon. A beauty and the beast sort of story, of finding one's lost soul, and discovering what true love can accomplish in the bleakest of moments.

**only you**

_**prologue**_

They had stormed his base, disrupting the shield to practically bust through his front door, a tactic the digimon emperor had not considered his enemies to make so quickly. His violet eyes traveled over the screens in his control room, observing the invasion-taking place within his own territory, his own BASE! 'How did they break the shield, I made it impenetrable!' He inwardly hissed, clenching a fist at the many screens that showed the attack. "Damn them."

Wormmon wearily came up beside his master, shivering from the enraged position the emperor held. This wasn't good, nor was the fact that they were utterly screwed if they just kept standing there idly, doing nothing. "Ken...?" the green caterpillar began meekly, cowering at the iciness laced within the boys stare. "I mean...emperor. They've broken through to the lower sectors. Its only a matter of time before..." the emperor spun on his heels, thoroughly pissed from his servants sniveling. The digimon emperor griped the long leather wipe tightly, snarling deeply in his throat, " IM NOT BLIND! Send reinforcements NOW!"

He needn't say it again, the green caterpillar twirled on all six of his appendages, taking off down the halls to carry out his masters demand. As soon as the digimon had left, ken leaned over the control panels, typing many commands out into the main frame of the computer. 'I'll crush them before they even reach the engine rooms. Hehe. No one overthrows the emperor! NO ONE!' chuckling to himself, the digimon emperors pupils narrowed on the digidestined group running across his camera's. They had no idea who they were dealing with. They were like bugs drawing closer to their deaths, and soon, would be begging for mercy when he was done.

But plans did not go as expected. It seemed with those medaling brats around, nothing ever did. His dark spiral army had quickly been overpowered, and ultimately defeated in no time at all. 'What! How did they...!' wormmon stormed into the control room, winded from his run. Perspiration fell down the digimons neck, his exspression saying it all. "Master, we have to run... Two of the children are on this very floor." ken's face fell, his mouth agape in clear astonishment. "That's impossible!" glancing at the screens' told him it WAS, and they were just around the corner, moving faster than ever. Pretty soon, he would be pinned down to the control room if he remained; wormmon tugged the pant leg of his master. The yanks thus brought the blank shock out of kens features. Snapping from the disbelief, ken side kicked the creature attached to his leg, sprinting to the opened doors. He wasn't one to lose, not without taking his enemies down with him. Kimeramon...it was his only chance of victory. "I have to activate the data. WORMMON! Hold them off."

The caterpillars eyes bulged, his stride halted, stuttering out, "what! M-m-me? Ken I..." "DO IT!" the servant regretfully ceased his pursuit behind his master, shaking from head to toe at the order given. "But I don't stand a chance." he whispered, watching as ken sped to a chained set of iron doors. It was a direct order, and if sacrificing was to happen, then so be it. It was wormmon's duty, to his partner... to his friend. Nodding forlornly, wormmon obeyed, praying to live to see the next day after this. "Yes master." the worm changed his course, sadly running headlong into battle with the superior destined and their partners. 'Go easy on me.'

Wormmon took a beating of the worst kind, his attacks holding no affect on the superior others. The insects fragile body became slammed into the wall, pushed aside the by ex-veemon. "You deserved it." Davis spat; side stepping past the battle to the shut iron doors. "Dang it. How do we get in?" he inquired, slamming a clenched fist into its thick hardness. T.K. only broke out in smiles when Davis brain finally told him that that means of entering wasn't going to work...and need I mention, hurt like hell. The blond waved over angelmon, pointing to the onset of doors, "could you break it down?" T.K. asked his friend, holding his breath to watch eagerly as the angelic digimon gave a reasuring nod, motioning for the humans to step aside so he could work his magic. his attack only knocked some wires loss from the locking mecanisme, but produced no further results. "perhapes exveemon can destroy it." the angel insisted, rubbing the back of his head to hide the sweat droplet away.

The chains fell to the ground in a clunk, automatically unlocking the door with his yelled voice command. Ken made his way to the controllers, punching in his orders with unsteady hands, he taking up more time from the rush. "Come on. Come on." he growled to the infernal machine, every part of his body growing stiff from the heated impatience. "Activated." the computer responded, displaying its results to the emperor. "Computer, combine the digi data." with several clicks, the collected strands of DNA converged on screen, swirling in a black hue before his eager eyes. 'Excellent.'

Ken smiled at the strand of perfection set before his awing eyes, beaming over his success. Smashing down further key commands, the emperor sternly spoke, "computer, create kimeramon." the explosion to the outside doors glitched the computers main frame, a fuzzy jolt ran threw its system. "C-c-ant... p-p-p-p-process..." it responded, the strand growing dimmer by each feeble attempt to create the said digimon, all the information being deleted gradually. "No." the digimon emperor spoke, taking hold of the panels. "NO!" his work, his creation of mass destruction... he was losing it. "Not now," ken let his fingers fly over the keyboard, his efforts failing in each reboot, every restore of memory he attempted. If he lost the data now, he was virtually screwed. They would win, he would fall. 'Not gonna happen. That is NOT gonna happen!'

"I wont lose. Not to those pathetic BRATS! I wont allow that." all his common sense was corroding away, fleeing to hysterics. The computer couldn't process correctly. It was unable to form the strands of DNA to create his ultimate weapon. This would not do. 'What! What can I do! I'm losing to those...those humans!' the screen flickered again with another jar from the door. Davis and the others were practically breathing down his neck and he had no means of escaping in this room, nor would he without his hard worked for creation. Leaving it to their hands or risk its permanent destruction didn't settle well in his stomach, making ken run his fingers roughly through his indigo hair. "What to do? WHAT!"

That's when it came to him, in the last futile resort. The computer may not be able to form the body, but what if the body was already formed... and just needed the strand to perfect it? The darkness...he could become one with it. 'No. That's insane. I cant...' the DNA leapt off the screen for a split second, sending the digimon emperor to nearly faint from its disappearance. When it came back into view, his heart eased back down to his chest, it felt like it had leapt strait into his throat there for a second. Bowing his head, he knew what he had to do. If this failed, he not only risked defeat, but destroying himself in the process. 'Its my purpose, my destiny.'

And in that thought, he typed the last order, verbally informing the crashing machine, "transport data into subject." many beeps escaped the computer, it answering in its echoing voice, "confirmed." seven tubes revealed themselves from the upper level of the room. Each was long, extending the sharp needles to the only living creature scanned. For a fleeting moment, kens courage drained, paling his face sheet white by the act he was about to commit. Was this right? Could he handle the transformation? What would he lose in the process of winning? Shuddering slightly in place, the boy began to rethink this decision. There had to be another way than this. the syringes drew closer, ken hesitantly turned his back to them. "No. I can do this. I have to do this." he reassured himself, clenching both lids tightly shut. The digimon emperor grounded his teeth for the expectant stabs, this was going to hurt, and he knew it.

The computer plunged each pencil length needle into various parts of his body, forcing ken to gag at the expectant agony he felt wash over his frame. His eyes had shot open once each point was buried in him, they screwing in bolts to keep the data from spilling once initiated. Chomping down on is bottom lip; ken tasted his own blood ooze onto his tongue, he placing all his effort into holding down the agonizing screams. 'No...Turning back...now.' if he did happen to have a change of heart, these blows would surely kill him once withdrawn. One needle had pierced his upper neck, two others on the top of his hands. Two on his feet, and two on both shoulder blades. It was almost unbearable; he couldn't find the air to confirm transmission.

The doors burst open, revealing the entire group of digi destines, each holding an uncanny look of dread over their expressions. "Oh my god...KEN!" Yolie shouted, tears forming on the crevices of her eyes. Davis pointed at the enemy, snarling out to the barely standing emperor, "its over ken, surrender or face one heck of a butt stomping." nothing they said could change the emperors facial expression of shear wickedness, ken gave a feeble smirk to them all, they thinking the battle over, yet the war still raged. "I... d-don't think gasp so." ken some how, through his best efforts, gave a diabolical cackle to the onlookers, turning his head to the awaiting computer. "CONFIRM!" he shouted, nearly toppling over from the burst of breath he had released to yell this. The pain grounded deeper, but this was nothing compared to what was to come. The black data strand ran quickly into each tube, taking on the appearance of ink as it entered the host's body.

Yolie made a mad dash towards the hunched over emperor, but Kari and Cody held her fast, not allowing for her to get anywhere near the gagging boy. Ken was choking on the intake, his veins burned from the substance; flesh felt like someone was shredding him from the inside. 'Damn it damn it DAMN IT!' his knee's buckled, all his body cracked under stress. The pain... it wasn't worth it. This wasn't worth it! Doubling over, ken fell to his knees, clasping both hands over his mid-section desperately to keep from vomiting his innards.

"Ken..." Yolie yelped, her voice being the only thing the digimon emperor could hear over his rapidly pounding heart and heavy pants. His body throbbed, but the pain began to lesson once each adjustment was made. The data was almost completely absorbed into his system, flicking a minuet speckle of strength into his legs. Enough so he found the footing to stand. Bringing his head up gradually, kens heaving became under control, the needles withdrew after the last of the black data had been successfully transported.

The children stood back, keeping a safe distance from what ever tricks the emperor had in stored for them. Their digi partner's stiff in fighting positions, awaiting any sign of battle. Ken flexed his fingers to get the feel back into the nerves, his mind taking in every detail littered around him. From the size of the room to the presence of the warrior digimon standing firm. After scanning his body, ken felt the course of power flow through his veins. He felt...great. Powerful, invincible even. And in the realization, the emperor sneered menacingly towards the speechless rivals, "now its time to finish you off." ken mocked, his glasses showing pure evil behind them, burning more fiercely than ever. The others stood back; even their digimon took a few unsteady steps backward from this...things energy. He wasn't ken anymore, nor the digimon emperor. He was...something else, something unholy.

"Don't think you can beat our digimon bear handed." T.K. managed to throw out, yet his fear brightly shone crisp across his features, as did in the eyes of them all. Ken merely tutted them in a fashion, waving a finger as he neared the first digimon. "And why cant I? Do you think I just shot myself up with vitamins? You really are stupid." armadillomon was tapped on the head by kens little finger, flinging the digimon into angelwomon, and rendering both unconscious. That effortless attack had knocked a good-sized hole in the metal wall, kens grime widened, 'such power...all mine. Its all mine.' the air in the room was taken in by each tamers lungs, they had no way to defend themselves from him. Nothing within them could stop the creature, forcing each warrior to ultimately fall, exerting ken in the least. They were like helpless flies to him, taking up none of his energy to bring each to their knees... or worse. Though their tamers tried to end the fight and have the odds on their side, it only leads to a quicker demise for their digimon. The foolish ex-veemon and angelmon tried to shield his attacks from reaching the meeker humans.

With no more than the pre-evolved forms standing in his way, the emperor's sights fell upon hawkmon, a black flame danced upon the digimon emperors fingertips. "Now, to destroy you all." drawing back his hand to throw, kens attack halted once Yolie wedged herself between them. She defiantly spread her arms to block kens attack, if he had the nerve to throw it. "Don't do this ken. You don't have to hurt anyone else." Yolie held a firmeness in each word, though the courage was failing. You would too if you starred death in the face. Ken's smirk grew at her pathetic attempts, he held the attack out to give a sinister shimmer in her glasses. "If you want to die with him, I'm more than honored to be rid of two birds with one stone." the black flame rotated in his clutch, its intimidating threat sizzling the girls bangs.

Yolie only straitened her back, jutting out her chest and held her chin defiantly stiff. "Than take your best shot, I'm not movin." well, he hadn't expected THAT. His smile faltered, those hateful eyes scanned the human before him. "You surely don't want to die a horrible death. So I'll be lenient. You have a ten second head start, I'll even count really slowly for you Yolie." she still didn't budge, just allowed tears to hang off the edges of her lashes. Hawkmon tried to push the girl aside, willing to take the blast, " Yolie...please run." the bird digimon whispered pathetically, his strength wavering due to his over exertion. But the attempt to push the reluctant human aside only knocked her head long into the emperor's arms. She had been propped up by nothing but her rooted feet, now she crashed into the chest of her enemy, her secret love. The sudden touch rendered ken speechless, his attack slipping to explode behind the bird digimon. She was touching him, HIM.

Yolie was trusted up a little ways onto kens upper body, pressing him into the cold ground. Her tears fell freely on the digimon emperors cheeks, Yolie grasped his jump suit in a dire attempt to reach the one she had given her heart too. The expression on his face held nothing less than shock for the unexpected event; he eventually allowed his glazed eyes to stare directly into hers, into the drowning pools of the girl lying gently on top of him. "Please ken, don't do this to yourself. Please..." Yolie gasped, her misty orbs fell onto his mouth, she placing a hand over her lips to hide the utter terror cracking her face. Fangs. He had... Fangs. And his lips were turning black. the digimon emperor gazed into her face, distinguishing the fear stirring within the bulging brown eyes. He pushed the sniveling girl aside, sitting up only to be met with another lurch in his nerves. "Shit." he growled under his breath, hunching over from further pain. 'I thought...the transformation was finished.'

Yolie crawled over to the suffering boy, placing an unsteady hand on his shoulder. Leaning to see his tightly shut lids, Yolie went to take his ashy face into her other hand. "Ken...what's wrong? Ken!" nothing but his screams answered, the other destines scrambled to their feet, collecting their partners into weary arms. Ken ripped the goggles from his face, dark rings formed over each closed eye. "AHHHHGGGGGG!" his skin was shredding in the back, he felt the slits stretch horizontally as bulges tore the stitches of his clothes. Yolie couldn't tare her focus from his changing form, his skin growing grey, his hair roots blackening by each convulsion. "Ken, hang on. I'll get help, I'll get the others to..." before she could stand and finish, the entire base took a violent turn. Ken forcefully shoved her across the room, the alarms of melt down ringing in the sirens. Explosions burst under foot, lifting up to vibrate the shock waves and cause the very computer that ken had recently used to explode in the background. The floating base had lost too much energy from the transfusion of data into his body and relentless attacks; it was now crashing into the solid ground. And he knew this.

Ken looked up for a split second in-between the horrific agony at the girl, his eyes glowing crimson from behind his sorrowful regret. "Just...choke go!" Yolie stood; ready to brave another time to help him escape. "I won't leave you." the floor fell out in front of her, separating the two by the spreading gap. Even if she wanted to stay, she could never make it over to him now. Ken gazed deeply to see the hurt in her face, why did she have to care so much? This was his punishment, his to endure...if he survived. "GET OUT OF HERE YOLIE!" she shook her head, searching the room for a means to reach him. "I'm gonna jump. Hold on." Yolie took a few steps back, having a desperate hawkmon take up her hand in attempts to keep her from committing suicide. "You wont make it! Leave him." the girl fought with the others, he could hear her shrill cries between the throb in his ears.

'She wont go. She won't go. She'll die if I don't...' shakily raising a hand up to the girls direction, a blinding black light burst forth into his open palm. The other digidestined took the struggling Yolie by the arms and thrashing legs, pulling her out of harms way as debris plummeted from the ceiling. "NO! KEN, I wont leave you!" if Yolie had been able to see through her own clouded vision, she would've saw the glimmering streams of tears that fell down kens face, he releasing the attack to destroy the door leading to him. The only way to him was blocked, and no other path was built. Dipping his chin to almost grace his chest, ken shut his eyes to hold down the repulsion for himself. The floor gave out, the fire spread. And as the world around him collapsed, the human side gave one last farewell to the only one who cared, the only person that ever wished him to live. "Good-bye...Yolie."


	2. Diary read

**ch1 _"diary read"_**

_Dear d-diary,_

_Ken is dead. My body aches so badly at the realization, the undeniable truth the others keep telling me is true. Who could survive such an explosion? We barely made it out alive, and nothing but scattered data remains of those lost in the fires, the collapse of debris, the ash of the digimon emperor's base. Its all gone, the evil, the threat, yet...my heart screams of its shredding agony. Ken... if only I had reached you sooner. You'd be alive, you'd be safe. I could have told you my secrets, I could have redeemed your sins and cleansed your soul. If only you had known friendship and happiness. I could have given you these things, but I didn't, not ever will you know my one true feeling for you. Beyond that hateful, hurtful glare of yours, I just wanted to tell you..._

_I love you._

Seven years later 

Yolie stood on the street corner, clinging her jacket close to herself as passer-byers scurry around her. It was another day, one more to live an hour at a time. Cody had said that time heals all wounds, but the gap in her heart still felt fresh. Like every time the wound began to mend, something triggered the memories and ripped the stitches away until his face kept resurfacing in her mind. 'He didn't even know I existed until I became his rival, why the hell do I feel this way? Why cant I just forget the sleez and go on with my life?' she huffed, closing her eyes to take in the familiar surroundings of Tokyo.

And still, even during the hustle and bustle of the streets music, his face became a burned image in the darkness. Those eye..."leave me alone." Yolie whispered, having that bad habit of talking to herself arise again. "Yolie." a familiar voice called, slicing through the crowds to reach the person they had recognized. Kari caught Yolie's hand, winded, but still all the same glad to see her friend. "You haven't returned my calls lately, I was beginning to worry about you." Yolie remained silent, gathering her life's events until the jumbles made sense. Shaking a smile towards her friend, Yolie waved aside the useless concern. "You know me, always off in my own little world. What's so important you kept stalking me for anyways?"

A sly glint fell in Kari's eyes, they both began to walk to the nearest cafe available. "Well, you know, me and Davis..." Kari left the sentence off in that fashion that said more than the actual words. Yolie rolled her eyes with a groan, "yes yes, I know. The two love birds at it again. Or should I say, the love rabbits by the way you two go at It." they gave snickers, sending the blond to blush under her scarf. "He is amazing." Kari added, the dreamy expression of last night replaying in her glazed orbs. It was enough to gag Yolie with a spoon, but she remained cheery all the same, seating at a table outside in the afternoon sun. "Let me guess, you two are actually tying the knot?" the flushed girl nodded, raising her hands to conceal the rosy cheeks. "I'm glad, it took him long enough to propose. So do you have a date set?" kari shook her head in protest, sighing at the way he just burst out with the question out of the clear blue, while they were in the process of...the usual thing.

"Afraid not, but I do know its soon. I want you to be my bride's maid. You're my best friend, and I just couldn't wait to tell you first."

This forced Yolie to give a genuine smile, something she felt she hadn't done in years. Yolie would do anything for her friends; they felt more like family than anything. "I'd be honored, just let me know when so I can freak out ahead of time." it was amazing how both their moods lightened, fresh brewed tea eased their nerves, and Yolie felt a small bit of her muscles relax. Why she felt so riled all the time was beyond her, the doctors had said it was merely stress, but she had little to fret over now that her digi-destined days were put to retirement.

"Yolie, your thinking about him again, aren't you?" batting her chocolate eyes towards her friend, Yolie simply blinked away the silence, unaware that she had wondered off again in another daze. Shrugging her shoulders, the girl took a sip of her drink, turning to a couple across from their table. She couldn't lie to Kari, so putting up a tough front like she did with the others wasn't gonna work today. Keeping it simple and serene, she began almost timidly, "there's not a day that goes by that I don't. I wish I could've saved him." "We all do." Kari reached over to her friend's hand, a reassuring gesture that was way over do.

"You've become a hermit, always staying indoors, never talking with the rest of use anymore. I worry about you some times."

"Just when things start to look up, there's something that pops up in front of me saying, "hey! Remember me? I'm that boy you had a crush on and died a horrible death." just a month ago I could've sworn I saw him on TV. When I passed by radio shack. But when I turned for a double take, he was gone. Stop giving me that look, I know I'm crazy, but I aint THAT crazy... yet." they both remained hushed for a little while more, Kari really had nothing to comment on, other than telling Yolie to get some rest. It seemed to be the only thing she needed right now.

"You'll eventually get out of this loop. Just have faith in yourself, and your friends to help you through." such wise advice, but very hard to swallow. Yolie downed the rest of her drink, glancing at her watch to check the time. Her little sisters should be getting home soon, and she defiantly wanted some time to herself on the computer before they took it over again. "How many people you gonna invite?" Kari twiddled her thumbs, dumbly counting the incredibly large number in her head. "About 200 should do it. Give or take a few. But... Yolie? Can I ask a favor of you?"

Yolie flashed her confident smirk to her friend, nodding with a reassuring sound. After that was confirmed, Kari bowed her face in a polite gesture, "could you try to call up gatomon and the others? I want them there for the wedding, but...it seems we all kinda cant get online anymore." "What do you mean?" Yolie tilted her head in confusion, scratching her arm at the nervous habit. She hadn't contacted hawkmon in so long, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she never thought it was an impossibility now. Perhaps years had done that, or maybe it was just the out dated digi-vices. Either way, she found it hard to believe that contacting their friends was just out of reach. They were the digi-destined for crips sack.

Kari sighed, somewhat disturbed by the admittance of this. "I've tried with my own digi-vice, and the others have too, on several different computers. But... The portal won't open. We can't even send a message to them with the d-tectors." Yolie turned her furrowed brows to the cerulean skies, feeling the coolness of the wind tease her thoughts. Folding her hands tightly around the empty cup, Yolie spoke very softly to her friend, "you know how I feel about that. I cant even look at my digi-vice without the flood of memories over powering me, it took me nearly a year to touch a computer again." the city sounds replaced the awkwardness in her voice, still Kari listened with a bowed head of guilt. She hadn't wanted to conjure up these emotions Yolie struggled with, they all knew how she felt, and this was a huge favor to ask of her suffering friend.

"But," Yolie continued, "I'll try for you and Davis. Its high time I got over this fear, and what better way then telling the gang of a hitchin?" the ease settled in, Kari lifted her beaming face to her true friend. "Thank you. If you cant get through to them, I totally understand. But I'm glad your gonna try for Me." it placed the pride back into Yolie's bones, for a moment, she felt like her old defiant self again. Scrapping the last droplet of tea onto her finger, Yolie licked the sweet taste; a foreboding weight had been lifted from her chest. "I can't wait to talk to hawkmon again."

…………………

The darkness devoured all that crept in his lair; the cold sliced its fingers into quivering flesh. This was truly an unpleasant place, it never welcomed any wandering soul into its keep and it was unlikely it ever would. A paled digimon hurriedly scurried around a corner, trembling every time he came to these black iron doors. The spikes fashioned onto its frame reached out to skewer the caterpillar, the design was jagged and disturbing like everything else in this retched castle. It took every ounce of courage the little digi possessed, but he reluctantly brought his hand up and knocked on the surface. The echo's traveled throughout the fortress, sending wormmon to scrunch his shoulders (if he has any) at the noise he had produced. Silence.

He tried another feeble attempt, this time answered by a cold, aggressive voice, "what do you want?" that tone was all it took to send the lingering bravery to flee into the hall. Sweating profusely, wormmon parted his jaw, unable to locate any words. 'Please don't open the door, please don't open the door.' wormmon chanted in his head, praying his fears not give him a heart attack. Sadly, the door flew open; powers of his master had nearly burst it off its hinges. "Answer me worm!" falling to the floor in panic, wormmon covered his head, squished tightly into a ball of protection. "Y-y-y-y-y-your d-d-dinner is r-ready m-m-master." the static tension enveloping the room fizzled away at the stuttering sentence, returning to the body from which it had been unleashed.

"You disturb me for THAT? I need no food now, get out of my sight." the words were at a subtle hiss, not nearly as intimidating or powerful as usual, a clear signal of the master's weariness. Sniffling, the digimon lifted one arm to observe his master, though his mind screamed to stab the curiosity before it was way too late for regret's. Last time peering up at the dark digimon had nearly made wormmon completely sheet white; he was just now regaining his drained color. But his tears of terror only misted his sights enough he lost a minuet amount of his squandered fear. The blackness that littered the room also encouraged the caterpillar to raise his upper body just slightly off the ground, enough so he hovered over the chilled tiles.

A faint outline of the master was visible. He was so tall, but so was everyone compared to wormmon. Swaying drowsily, the master allowed his body to droop, but soon rubbed his eyes at the exhaustion invading his body. He hadn't slept in 2 weeks, and work just wouldn't cease to pile. Standing for that period of time took it out of him; the circuits connected to his body glowed gently in the ebony room. The master had his back to the on looking digimon, apparently unaware of the meeker mon's presence or uncaring of it. Sighing loudly, the dark master finally forced a shaking hand up to his face, unable to relax for even a well-needed moment. The cords temporarily retracted out of his flesh, sending a chair to magically hover behind his intense figure, he was a very temperament person that never possessed the patience to wait on anything but his own abilities. Groaning a strained breath as he sat, the master continued cradling his head in his hand, tapping the other hands fingers on the arm of his seat.

The claws continuously engraved deep scratches into his metallic chair, but he never paid much mind to them anymore. 'Cant go on like this for much longer. I need to sleep.' the masters lids crushed his eyes in its warm velvety blanket, 'I need...' blinking his eyes several times, he refused to finish that thought. He didn't need anything! Not to mention THAT one thing he found himself drifting off to more than he cared to recall. Leaning forward to retrieve his computers cords, the master reclaimed his work, allowing the wiring to penetrate through his skin and begin the stripping of the digital world. It was the only thing keeping his mind free from memories, it was the only way to be sure the past NEVER came back to haunt him. ' It wont happen again, I wont make the same mistake. No one will be able to stop me now. No one.' narrowing his eyes, the master looked down to his barely awake form, then up to the large screen that took up a majority of one wall. A file had been brought up...he had opened that one file without even realizing it. It must have been his inner thoughts, the system was programmed to obey his demands without punched in or voiced commands. A security he held so none could hack the software.

'Damn it, I knew I should've deleted that repulsive thing the moment it popped onto my computer.' yet... Every time he went to do this deed, his mind never put his foot down on the idea to erase. It would hover over the plan, the hate brewing and swirling in his gaze, but it never happened. He would stash the file in a secret place, out of sight out of mind. Keeping its information was a disturbing thing; it was enough to make the master disgusted by his own weakness. Wormmon watched eagerly as his master remained perfectly still, and the file untouched on the vibrant screen. Why didn't his master just admit the obvious? Something that seemed only wormmon noticed in his masters constant work schedule, the thing all refused to see inside the ruthless digimon. Loneliness. Sighing to himself, the master solemnly opened the contents; the sadness laced his hollow eyes.

what could it hurt? He had absolutely nothing better to do.

_Dear d-tector...er diary,_

_The digital world is so beautiful. I can't believe all the flourishing flowers that grow in the meadows; all the colors are just a riot of hues and tones that I didn't imagine could exist. And the creatures here are just amazing, but none are as cool as hawkmon. He's my partner and good friend, but I think he worries about me too much. You cant keep me out of danger, not even if you tie me up and throw away the key, its just who I am. I found that my d-tector could be used as an online diary; only people can't read it and say what a loser I am. Lol. I hope nothing ever changes here, I'd be sad if it did._

The master tilted his head forlornly, causing the entry to skip several pages. That was only the first out of at least six months worth of a certain girl's thoughts. He hadn't read them all, and frankly, he really didn't want too. This was personal stuff, private and sacred. Something even he knew. Yet, it was the only thing that ever really calmed his throbbing muscles, soothed the hollowness inside just for a few minutes out of his existence. Reading on to many days ahead, he smirked at what she had to say about the digimon emperor.

_Dear d-diary,_

_Curse that guy. What right does he have to enslave these digimon! NONE that's what! He obviously can't see that there real, as real as you or me. Each has its own feeling's, likes and dislikes, their more than just data. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to hawkmon the way he treats the others. I just want to slap him so hard, wipe that sneer from his face until he knows the wrath of a full-fledged p.o.ed woman. Oh, the justice I could invoke. We've taken down another control spire, and I know he's steaming about it...which he should. That's only one less, so get used to it buddy cus I'm takin them all out._

_On the lighter note, guess who happened to bump into me today? Oh, why am I asking you, you're just my d-tector? It was him. That guy I've had the crush on since...er...forever. Or at least the first grade, yeah, that sounds about right. He's so cute, smart, athletic..._

The master rolled his eyes at this gunk. He never was one to stomach it. The pages skipped many more times ahead; his chalky skin grew chilled by the threats she made to the emperor. It seemed she had it out for the guy; he hardly paid much heed to the entire writings. The last page came up, the master had lost track of the precise hours he had remained seated to read, but he nearly felt the weight of his body collapsing with exhaustion.

_Dear d-diary,_

_Ken is dead. _

That brought the sleep clean out of him. What an attention grabber. Straitening up, the master trained his focus on this particular entry, reading on for more information.

_My body aches so badly at the realization, the undeniable truth the others keep telling me is true. Who could survive such an explosion? We barely made it out alive, and nothing but scattered data remains of those lost in the fires, the collapse of debris, and the ash of the digimon emperor's base. Its all gone, the evil, the threat, yet...my heart screams of its shredding agony. Ken... if only I had reached you sooner. You'd be alive, you'd be safe. I could have told you my secrets, I could have redeemed your sins and cleansed your soul. If only you had known friendship and happiness. I could have given you these things, but I didn't, not ever will you know my one true feeling for you. Beyond that hateful, hurtful glare of yours, I just wanted to tell you..._

_I love you._

Trembling inside, the master repeated the last three words over and over again in his mind, unable to comprehend them. It had been years, seven to be precise, why hadn't he read this sooner! 'She...she couldn't have.' rolling the very idea around placed a foul taste in his mouth; his grip on the chair arm grew firmer until the metal twisted in his grasp. 'Why didn't she... Why didn't I know?' the sadness leaked into his chest, restricting the ability to breath properly. He went back to the over looked pages, finding the hints laced into each days writing's, the clues of the obvious he had been to blind to see back then...until now.

Running his claws through his charcoal hair, the master stood after regaining his composure, twittering the black angel wings in agitation. 'Its too late now, there's nothing I can do. I am dead. And she...' his hand went up to his pounding heart, rubbing the soreness until he felt nothing again. The master kept his head downcast until the emotions ceased their turmoil, and the darkness crept back onto his face.

Wormmon still remained outside the door, he had watched and waited for a sign his old friend still lived, but it appeared that hope was fading fast. Now there resided only a monster, pure and simply put. The dark angel of death held no compassion for others, and certainly not even for his loyal servant. 'What happened to you ken? You were once so happy, now... you can only live in misery.' "Ken..." wormmon whispered the name without intention, wanting his beloved partner to come back. Hoping that somewhere, deep inside, the boy would win over the internal battle and find peace. The noise caught into the masters twitching ears, causing his heated crimson gaze to fall stoically on his servant. "What are you doing here!"

Quivering from antennae to tail, wormmon flattened himself back onto the floor. "N-nothing master."

"MY NAME IS NOT KEN! DONT YOU EVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN, YOU WORTHLESS WORM, OR YOU WILL CEASE TO EXIST!" the flames of a brutal attack lapped up the master's arms, causing the foundation to shutter under its increasing power. The very heat melted some of the wires connected to the dark angel, rocketing his rage even more to its insanity. This was wormmon's que to exit, a.s.a.p., unless he decided to just roll on his back and die, which most wouldn't blame him for doing. The pure white digimon bolted down the hallway in speeds none knew the little guy possessed in his stubby body, perspiration water falling down his teeny tiny neck.

The master roared his rage into the night, slamming the doors shut with one mighty thrust, drowning out all that drove him to complete homicidal retribution. He calmed his rampaging emotions, enough so that the thrown blast only took out a near by room. Why did he have such incompetent slaves? His breaths were hard, feral. He wanted to destroy, the fire in his blood screamed for it. But that would only sidetrack him, and add to more work that needed tweaking. It was a lose lose situation, odds he loathed entirely. Leaning onto his chair, the master snorted out the last of his pint up fury, allowing the burn in his crimson glowing orbs to ease. Glancing all about the chaos he had effortlessly wielded, the master could do not but stare in shock, lower lip trembling at the fear of himself. "What am I?" squeezing his lids shut, the master broke the brace of his metal seat, unable to regain control over his flowing strength. "What have I become?" kneeling his head till it felt as though it would never be able to rise, he hissed of the flashes exploding into his thoughts.

One wire still clung to his back, sparking at its exposed circuitry. He felt as though his entire body would plummet, never to stand from the over coming stress, the flooding storm of emotions. The darkness surrounded the master's form, eating its way into his body till it pierced his gapping heart. The cold coil spread throughout his pumping veins until no heat, no hope had even a snowballs chance in hell to find a barring to hold fast too. It was all so depressing, sweeping him into its pit of sorrow. Gnawing feverishly on his lower lip, the master parted his lids for only his lashes to barely touch each other; his empty tears blurred the entire world. The taste of his coppery black blood oozed a foul tasting coat on the top of his tongue, having the master whisper a plea only his drooping ears to hear. Falling to the ground as the last of his energy finally disappeared, it left behind only his soft words for her, the call that all prayed could reach their deliverer before his darkness infected them all. "Help me...Yolie."

Sleep.


	3. Fallen

**Ch2 "_fallen_"**

Padding her bare feet around the apartment, Yolie whistled at the jingle on her cell phone, scurrying about the living room to locate the blasted thing. She had been smack dab in the middle of a computer war with Cody, each battling the other from online in there own houses. Now she defiantly knew he would win because of her misplacing the infernal phone. Throwing the cushion pillows here and there, the girl rolled onto her belly to check under the couch. Nope, no luck. Yolie planted her fists on her hips, huffing irritably at this. "Where the hell is it? And who the hell is calling me?" it seemed the whole world was trying to distract her today, when all she wanted was to spank Cody on the battle escapade. Her computer gave a victory beep to the winner, causing Yolie to fall over on the cushy floor with a grunt. Cody had actually beaten her in the monster car mela game...and losing stunk on her clothes like day old mayonnaise in the garbage heap. "Aggggg. He got me."

She lifted her head up to see the screen; a menacing expression took hold of her face at the little chibi Cody doing the victory signs. 'I bet HE"S calling me so he can win. Distraction tactic! No fair!' jumping up to the keyboard, Yolie wrote a very nasty message about his immature behavior.

_Mellowyellowdillo: what? I'm not calling you, I swear. _

_Princessnahnah: oh, don't give me that. You know you had no chance unless I became distracted. _

_Mellowyellodillo: Yolie, I'm not kidding. It must be Kari wanting to talk to you about something. She just wouldn't leave use alone until she got a hold of you; I guess you should just pick it up and spare all of use from her wrath. _

Placing a finger to her chin, Yolie didn't know what else Kari would want to talk to her about, other than wedding stuff. A subject Yolie was lacking in. perhaps she hadn't informed the others of the good news, and then again, Yolie hadn't gotten around to try out her digi-vice either. That must be what she was harassing her for. Sighing, a sweat droplet fell from the side of the purple haired girls head, she quickly apologized to Cody for her angry accusations.

_Princessnahnah: forgive my brain fart oh mighty yellow armadillo. I hope she doesn't want to talk long; my folks will be home with the little tribe soon so I need to rematch you some other time._

_Mellowyellowdillo: excuses excuses. Peace out P. nahnah._

_Princessnahnah: stay frosty._

Yolie grinned at his forgiving personality, a trait she appreciated and found dwindling in the growing populace. Reaching for the mouse, she was just about to log out and relax for the remainder of the night, until a message suddenly popped up on the glitching screen. "What's this?" narrowing her eyes on the YOU'VE GOT E-MAIL box, she scanned the address. One can never be too careful when opening an unknown person's mail; viruses were the pits to get cleared. 'No address. No user name. Who is this person, and how did they get online without an address?' shaking her head, Yolie hesitated for a split second. Throw it away, or read. Decisions.

Something foreign pulled her hand to open it, an invisible force tugged on the scroll button, sending the mouse to click the shuddering mail completely on its own free will. Yolie yelped at the movement, cradling her hand to her mouth in fear of whatever the holy crap that was. "Alright. I am officially creeped out." trembling in her place, Yolie remained focused on the haunted doohickey, ready to chuck the largest object she could manage to grab if it attempted to make any further unwanted walks around on its pad. It lay motionless, lifeless, and Yolie was sure her curiosity hadn't just merely worked its magic on the technology. "Okay, take a breather yo. I need sleep. Kari said it herself I was lookin tired and maybe...hehehe...I am. Oh no, I'm cracking up." Yolie pushed the back of her hand to her forehead, checking if she held a temperature.

The computer glitched, fuzzy at first as its connecting sounds lifted into the air. Bending over to make out the words that stained her computer, Yolie rubbed her contacts to clear them up, starting to believe her software had just been infected with another virus. 'That's all I need.' leaning in closer, the colors faded to black, flickering just slightly until her nose nearly grazed the glassy surface.

It was in jumbles, overlapping each other... if that even was possible. "What the hel...help?"

Scratching her head, this wasn't a very amusing prank by some middle-aged hacker in his mother's basement. The words were forming before her eyes, in long sentences repeating the same word over and over again. help help help help help help help help.

shaking her head in disbelief, this was getting old fast. Yolie reached for the mouse to delete this file, not finding it interesting to keep around anyways, wanting nothing more than toss her anxiety to the winds and dip into a nice relaxing bubble bath. That sounded like a dream, a heaven she wanted to relish in until the world went to hell in a hand basket for all she cared. It froze. Nothing moved, everything became locked, the lingering sentences scrolled down her computer with the same thing written. The printer fired up instantly, etching the message onto countless rolls of paper till they littered her feet. "This is one nasty cold." punching in every button to halt the machines onslaught of pandemonium, Yolie found that nothing seemed to respond, not one blasted thing. The house phone let out a shrill ring from the kitchen, then her cell went off almost simultaneously. The TV flickered to life, leaving static to fizzle instead of the usual channels. "MY HOUSE HAS LOST IT'S MIND!" Yolie pushed the desk from the wall, unplugging the system. It was the only alternative remaining, and that ought to stop any more malfunctions. Brushing her hands for a job well done, Yolie turned her back on desk, walking over to turn the television off with a triumphant smirk.

All seemed normal now, until the computer flickered back on and started the printer again. "No way." if only she had a witness to this insanity, or a camera, she'd be able to rake in the doe on one of those scariest places on earth sitcoms. Running to the home entertainment system, the girl punched the power button continuously. A faint image crept into view, but the static made it impossible to read the outline. What would her parents think if they returned to THIS taking place? 'That I seriously need to move out and stop messing with their fandangle contraptions.' she informed herself, the noises just wouldn't cease. Not even for one needy second. If there was only a way to stop the sounds, press it all out of her ringing head and find an explanation.

A migraine spread from her temples till it felt as though her eyes would bleed. Yolie held her hands over her ears, grinding her teeth, clenching both lids shut until nothing was left but the beat of her rampaging pulse. The clatter, the annoying jingle she was going to defiantly change when she found her right mind, it had to end. "STOOOOOOOOP!" Yolie screamed at the top of her lungs, releasing the scorching held breath until relief washed her from this horrid nightmare. Nothing...but silence.

The panic was painted onto her face, the stiffness kept all joints locked. Her heart slammed heavily into her rib cage, not willing to settle down from that twilight zone experience just yet. 'What just happened? Do I need crazy pills this early in life?' sighing, Yolie leapt at the sound of her cell ringing from behind a half eaten sandwich. "So that's where I put it." smiling brightly at the thought, she brushed a few loose strands of hair from her sight, picking the sponge bob phone up to her ear. Perhaps it was all just her imagination, like when she admitted to Kari that radio shack incident. The Goosebumps were still fresh on her mind, her hairs stood on end at the faint chill sweeping across the back of her neck. Yolie cleared her throat, placing a fake steadiness into her voice, "hey Kari, I think I have officially snapped cus you wont believe..."

Nothing greeted her from the other end, this was defiantly not Kari, she would have been laughing at the stutters Yolie found herself unwillingly in. "Cody?" the iciness slammed hard into the girls body, Yolie felt her legs about to give out, and still nothing but eerie quietness answered her plea's. Biting her lower lip franticly, Yolie nearly threw the phone out a window; the high-pitched Internet noise rang in her eardrums, close to shattering them from its intense shriek. Holding it as far from her head as possible, she felt the ever growing tears surface into her misted chocolate orbs. Nothing made sense, nothing fit together anymore. Yolie felt lost in her own surroundings, waiting for the connection echo to fade away and answer her questions.

"Who are you? Why are you calling me!" the authority in Yolie's voice gave way to the bubbling panic, sobs lifted into her throat at the rising climax. The static swam into play, drowning out the one on the other end. She couldn't understand him, was unable to make out what it was the person was trying to say. "I can't hear you. Answer me, why are you calling?" the voice grew denser, warping at times until she was unsure it was a man at all that spoke. With a deep tone like that, Yolie doubted it was a woman.

"H-h-h...help...me..." she heard it that time, the plea, the beg for her assistance. "Who... who are you?" Yolie found she held the phone firmly against the side of her head, both hands holding it tightly till she got a response. Gnawing the terror down, she could feel her entire form quivering, not sure she wanted him to answer, not sure she was ready. the static thickened, but he called back from the distance he found himself in, sniffling inwardly from the fear of the darkness. "Help me...Yolie."

It went dead, the message had been sent, horrifying her till nothing in the world felt real. Dropping the cell, it clattered on the ground as Yolie collapsed to her knees. The strength had been drained, along with her color, till the girl only stared off into nothingness. 'Ken...' it had to be, but couldn't. No, she wouldn't fool herself into this. It was impossible, beyond impossible. He was dead, and you don't come back from dead. Clasping both hands to her face, the tears streamed down until they sunk into the deep lines of her frown. Yolie just wanted to fall over and never get up, having that feeling like someone had just kicked her in the gut and kept on stabbing her chest.

The front door opened, with her family piling in to find Yolie in utter chaos with her emotions. "Yolie, dear, what's wrong? What happened? Are you alright?" it seemed their concerns blended together, leaving the fallen teen to want to scrunch into her defensive ball until they left their stares and worry to fall on some place else. "I...i-i have to... I'm going to bed." and with that violently sobbed out into the open, she sprinted for her room, locking it behind her. Though they knocked occasionally to check on her progress, no one really tried to barge in and disturb her solitude. Not even her little sister whom she shared the room with.

Falling onto her bed, Yolie snuggled close up to her pillow. If it had a life, she would have squeezed it clean out of him. That's how bad she felt, and nothing was going to make it better, not even her mothers home made rice balls she smelled burning in the oven.

"I want to...I can't take it anymore." Yolie's cries became muffled by the stuffed animals she buried her face into. She was going to unleash a river if she didn't get a hold of herself, and this was way out of character. Never had she cried like this...and in front of her family or friends. 'I'm supposed to be the strong one. I have to remain that way...for them.' wiping away most of the moister from her cheeks, Yolie cuddled to the first stuffed animal her hands fell on, the one that she just happened to have drenched in her onslaught of tears.

Gazing out her window, she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be with him. Yolie had fantasized all her life, and there was little more she could do but that. 'I know you never even saw me unless we were fighting, but at least you noticed me then. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I wanted too so badly. I wish...' her hand fell on the desk she kept her digi-vice in. "I wish I could find you ken, and make you happy." it was the most she could utter at a time like this. Shutting her bloodshot eyes, Yolie allowed the sandman to take her away into a world of dreams. It was all she asked for, a release from her constant memory of him.

If only wish's came true... or how you intended them too that is.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

His eyes slithered open to the candle light beside him, the world was a blur, along with his recollection of his where abouts. Slowly sitting from his cushioned place, the dark angel clenched a hand up to the back of his head, hissing at the picking of little jolts of pain banging against his skull. With another sweep of the room, the master grumbled at the familiar surroundings. It was his room, dark and twisted like his soul, and cold ta-boot. Shifting his focus abouts the place, the master wanted nothing more than to sleep for the remainder of eternity. To just slip into the darkness completely and fade away, to be forgotten and nothing more. But that was far too easy, and he never consider himself a quitter, nor allow himself to fall without one hell of a blood bath. Swinging his legs to the edge of the oval bed, the master stretched his wings out to regain the feeling in them. Sleeping on one's back tended to cut the circulation off, making it all tingly and numb.

"Wormmon!" the master barked, listening to the echo flow down the dilapidated structure of his abode and out to the rotting fields and forest's below. The creak of the doors caught the dark angel's attention; he swooshed a hand to extinguish the candle's flame. No need to make an already white digimon go transparent from fright. The master chuckled wickedly at that thought, finding his glowing eyes fall on the one he had summoned. "How long have I been asleep?" the cold tone brought wormmon to nearly flee the scene, but loyalty stood above all else, and he fought the urge until honorably dismissed. "A-a-about 4 hours...m-m-m-master." the sound of the master's wings ruffling sent the meeker mon to flinch, closing his eyes to block out the illuminating red scowl from his sight.

The dark angel grumbled under his breath, walking to the large balcony in almost a fluent, graceful movement. He was soundless in the way he carried himself, only the sighing of his feathers could give his presence away. Opening the glass doors, the master took in the crisp night air, feeling the vibes of life dance outside his vision and the opening of a hidden portal. "I'm going out to stretch my wings." unfolding them to their full length, he turned his head over one shoulder to give another menacing glare to the still petrified wormmon. It was slightly painful to see the fear in that digimon's eyes, but it was a fear he had intentionally placed there himself. It was a decision he lived with, loathed to its rotting core. 'No. It is just my meager human emotions trying to resurface.' something he had learned long ago to crush the moment they arise. "I'm going to kill tonight, so enjoy the screams." a smirk fashioned onto his paled face, giving the appearance of pure psychotic evil to twist that once appealing face of his.

The master had said this more of a way to conjure undeniable terror into his servant, it was too humorous to pass up, and way too easy a task to fathom. The sorrow leaked into place for wormmon, he backed out of the room to leave this monster to his sadistic amusement. A slow retreat that didn't set well in the master's stomach, or conscious. Just in that silence alone, the master found hatred again, 'that's right, sniveling wretch. Run away...just like everyone else.' furrowing his brows, the dark one leapt off the edge of his balcony, flapping until he found comfort in the embrace of the night sky.

It was no effort to find his target, a small cozy village with peace loving digimon's of all species. A sickening sight indeed. It would be nothing to destroy them, their powers would gain him little strength once he absorbed their data, but the thrill of chaos did seem enticing, seductive in its own little way.

The demon inside grew in control, forcing glowing slits to envelop his eyes at the thought of destruction. And what made it all more the sweeter was the fact that no one wielded the strength to stop him. Not even the digi-destined's partners, he had made positively sure of that. Scanning the surrounding landscape, not one clue to the portals whereabouts was in clear view. "Damn it, where is it?" he snarled between bared teeth, clenching his fist's to his side at the quiet houses below.

Digimon were getting sneaky, hiding the connections between both worlds from his ever-present knowledge. Very well, let them think themselves safe, he would demolish it either way. "If they don't want to be cooperative," the dark angel held a burning black flame in his clutch, hovering over the middle of the village, " I'll just have to play mean." a moronic cackle lifted from his lips, an alarm that all hell was about to be unleashed. Dropping the attack underneath himself, the master swooped to and fro to the largest structures, releasing small assaults onto the buildings. The fires spread, the explosions awakened the sleeping, jerking the clockwork mob of terrified data to go scurrying into all directions. It resembled the scattering of roaches from where the dark angel hovered, there really wasn't hurry to massacring these pathetic creatures lives right away. He might as well enjoy this cheap thrill, nothing challenging awaited him tonight, and destroying the portal was the only thing that stood on the top of his list.

The screams of mercy was music to his ears, melodies in its rising and falling of pitches, it only spiraled his haunting laughter that much more. And soon, very soon, they wouldn't have a need to scream where he was going to send them. It was all so tainted and delicious. The dark angel wouldn't have it any other way.

This was his world to screw with, and they were just his easily replaceable toys that just happened to break once they outlived their entertainment. 'If only they could bleed.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yolie jolted out of her bed, the screams rang in her ears until all she knew was misery and disposal. What nightmare had she fallen into? It felt way to real for her own good, and the pain...that's what awakened her in the first place. It was the feeling someone was scorching her flesh, squishing her vital organs, the sadness and torture of a hundred dieing souls with only one fainting word on their lips. "Help." shivering at the remembrance, Yolie watched the shadows dance in her room, then turned to the vacant bed across from her. 'Stupid me, I locked the door.' Yolie slapped a hand to her forehead, whimpering inwardly at her selfishness.

Walking out to the living room, she spotted her little sister huddled on the couch, snoring into the uncomfortable springy furniture. "Susy, wake up." Yolie nudged her, unable to shake the sleep from the other girl. Huffing at her sister's laziness, Yolie went to the kitchen, filled a glass of water, and poured it down the sibling's head. Immediately Susy was up, choking and flailing by the coldness to her skin. "Iyiyiyiyiyiyiyi! That's c-c-c-cold stuff." Yolie only giggled at her wickedness, helping Susy to dry off. "Well, when it rains it pours. Lets get you to bed."

Susy stuck her tongue out indignantly, but gathered her things, yawning as she made it to bed. "G-night Yolie." Yolie fluffed out her sister's pillow, tucking the younger in delinquently, and kissed her head. "see you in the morning." Yolie sang in her sweet voice, straitening her back once Susy had shut her eyes and drifted instantly into dreams. 'How does she do that?' placing a hand to her throbbing head, she turned to her bed hesitantly, unsure if she dare try and sleep again. That was one horrific nightmare just a while ago, and falling back into it didn't seem appealing at the moment.

Sighing out of indecision, she leaned against the desk, staring out the window for an answer. "Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish come true tonight. I wish... I wish I knew what I was doing, besides sitting on this desk and watching my butt grow. I wish everything went right again, that I feel like I belong. I'm so out of place now, almost awkward. Scratch all of what I said little star, if I could have anything, I want you to help someone else out. Someone who needs it. Hell, I'll even help." the throb was lessoning, butt Yolie felt she still should take an aspirin just incase it came back with a vengeance.

Yolie went to lift herself off the desk when a flashing light sparkled from the cracks. It was like a flash light was set inside the drawer, but that couldn't be, the only thing in it was paper, junk, and..."my digi-vice!" flinging it open, she tossed things aside to locate the radiating glow, nearly frantic to find it.

The light dimmed slightly once Yolie's fingers grazed its surface, taking on a gentle shine to it. With eyes wide in shock, the symbols on the screen jumped and morphed of danger, like what it had done when danger was afoot. Yolie raced to the computer, finding her family had plugged it back in, and fired it up. She went to the Internet, holding the digi-vice to the screen in hopes of discovering what it was that triggered the warning signals. Immediately a disrupted image of the digital world came into focus, Yolie squeezed closer to make out the scene.

Many digimon squired in all directions, crying out to one another in desperation. Something was severally wrong with this picture. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" none of them stopped to give an explanation, stampeding like cattle to unknown destinations. "Hawkmon, are you out there?" still nothing. Just before she could scream out her aggression by all these people's rudeness, a familiar voice caught into her ears. "That's right, stay calm. Escape into the forest's and remain quiet." "Hawkmon?"

The bird's image melted away from the faceless crowd, his eyes wide, searching for the only person who had a serene voice like that. He turned towards the direction Yolie smiled from, both their expressions matching the other.

"YOLIE! I've missed you so much." he flung himself at the screen, hugging it till she nearly felt the tightness of his embrace. "Boy has you grown. Quite a lovely young lady I might add." all the panic had left his body, he was almost calm at the meeting of an old friend. "Hawkmon, what's happening? Why is everyone running?"

Bowing his head at the memory of his plight, hawkmon wiped his head every which way, making sure the coast was clear. He stuttered as he responded, a sweat droplet fell from the side of his beak, "its nothing Yolie, just another day in the digital world." "Another day my foot, what's going on? And don't you lie to me either." more sweat came down his face; he waved a wing at her persistent interrogation. "Oh, you know, people being silly." another explosion went off in the distance, forcing all his feathers to stand on end. "Being silly huh?" she looked at him skeptically. If she had been standing, she would be tapping a foot right about now.

"Fine. I'm gonna tell you, but don't do anything rash okay?" his fake carefree ignorance vanished to the shadowing horror inside. Hawkmon lowered his voice; placing his face so close to the screen Yolie was unable to make out the background. "The village I'm protecting is under attack by a new digimon. I cant digivolve and even if I could I don't stand a chance against him alone. I think he's after the portal your using right now, so please turn your computer off and go back to sleep. All will be fine."

Yolie pointed a finger at him, accusingly, mouth agape in shock, "you just said you don't stand a chance! Where are the others! I'm coming in to help you." the snorting of Yolie's parents came down the hall, forcing Yolie to cover her mouth by her sudden outburst. "Yolie, keep it down in there. Some of us have to work in the morning." "Sorry daddy." she cleared her throat to regain control over herself, lifting her digi-vice up to the computer.

"NO! Stay there, I don't want any danger coming to you." Yolie rolled her eyes at his urgent screams. Hawkmon always treated her like a porcelain doll, never wanting her to get down and dirty. Snorting at that, she crossed her arms, placing on her game face, "I'm coming in there whether you like it or not so you can just..." she never got to finish what it was she said, a dark shadow fell over her friend, the screams were fading into the distance. "SS that's where you were hiding it, hawkmon." the little bird digimon spun around, and the maniacal laughter split the onlookers eardrums, bringing the migraine to burst forth-full force into her temples. Before hawkmon could even whirl his entire body to face the threat, the image fizzled out, blanking into nothingness.


	4. Welcome to darkness

**ch3** **_"welcome to darkness"_**

"No...hawkmon." pulling the digi-vice up to the screen, she commanded the portal to reopen. No luck. She tried again. Still nothing. Pushing the chair back to stand, Yolie wiped a few beads of tears from the crevice of her eyes, extending the digi-vice out to whimper, "Please, open. He needs me." it took several seconds, but the portal hissed its doors open for her, shimmering light in to the darkness of the apartment.

Inhaling one last breath, Yolie went forward, glancing over her shoulder for a silent farewell to her family. 'I'll be back, I promise.' the lights blended together, wrapping the human in its luke warm fingers. she had missed the rush of this feeling, of skipping into a new world and be lost to its mysteries. once she had found her feet land on solid ground, Yolie glanced about her surroundings, realizing she wasn't anywhere near the village hawkmon had been in. this portal had dropped her off several miles from the smoking land that once stood as hawkmon's home, and from the looks of it, the attack was still fresh by the sizzling flames on the still standing houses.

she ran until it felt like her lungs would collapse on her, the adrenaline was the only thing keeping Yolie on her track. the premonitions of carnage flickered into her minds eye, pushing the human girl to make haste and find her old friend. the air was musky, cold, and full of falling ash, enough to choke anyone in the proximity. it was like her body glided to the red scene, caught in a dream, she found herself breathless at each leap and hurdle she scaled. just when the destination was but a few more yards away, something firm took hold of her ankle, yanking Yolie down to the hard ground.

"no, don't go in there. its dangerous." a red vegiemon had wrapped its vines around her leg, stopping her from entering the smoldering village. Yolie brought her eyes up to meet him, glaring him down with concerned tears and unknowing hatred. stiffening her jaw in a stubborn fashion, Yolie squirmed to be released form his hold, kicking her appendage until his hand loosened. "my friends in there..." "as is most of mine and everyone else's, but you can not go in there to save them. it is already too late for most."

Yolie kicked again, this time freeing herself from the vegiemon and falling smack dab into a group of gizamon. "please don't go, your friend is data by now." the group whimpered in unison, toppling Yolie in fuzzy hugs. "hawkmon, I wont let him die. I have to save him so get off!" she flapped around but found the little bodies still clung to her in shivers. "he got hawkmon, I saw 'em. our good ole hawkmon." the tiniest of the gizamon cried, burying his face into her shirt. "you...you guys knew hawkmon?"

they all nodded, keeping Yolie steady enough to continue, "he was the only one that ever tried to help us. all the strongest digimon disappeared, leaving our village unprotected. they all ran away because of the portal...and because of HIM." scowls played across a majority of the on looking faces at the mention, while some hid their faces and covered their ears. Yolie blinked many times to comprehend all this vast knowledge, unsure what to think. "who's HIM? a new evil digimon?" the younger one's found shelter under their mothers, the red vegiemon merely nodded and continued where the gizamon had left off.

"he's pure evil, and kills without mercy or regard for anyone. sadly, our village is close to his lair, and we suffer greatly for it. hawkmon was once a digi-destined's partner, so he was very helpful in protecting use from the dangers and keeping the portals where abouts a secret. but something went wrong. somehow...HE found out, and now we pay the price for our deception." they all sighed, bowing their heads in respect for their fallen guardian. Yolie only shook her head in disapproval, furious at these cowards, furious she wasn't able to be there for her friend in time. "NO! he can't be dead! hawkmon...it's not possible. why didn't any of you try to help him! you all just...you just...you cowards." she pushed the fluff balls away, allowing the tears to spill from her distrot form.

"I won't believe it." Yolie whimpered quietly, repulsed by the digital world. a shaggy old gabumon rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder, feeling the same distress she did. "he was a very good person, and a true friend. if we had tried to help, we would have suffered the same fate, which is what hawkmon absolutely DIDN'T want to happen. he sacrificed himself for our safety. now we must either find a new home or rebuild what is lost. time heals all wounds." like she hadn't heard that one before.

"he was...my partner. I should have been here, should have contacted him earlier but I didn't. I was too afraid." Yolie spoke, but none really understood what she meant. Yolie had pushed the promise she made to Kari to the last minute, dreading to fall into corroding memories. now...hawkmon was hurt somewhere or worse. "I can feel him. he's not dead, I just know it." glancing up at the old gabumon, the streams waterfall down her cheeks, sparkling in the fires light. "can you tell me where this HIM's lair is?"

gasps lifted into the air, many whispers went out to those that hadn't heard what she said. Yolie wiped the salty liquid from her face, standing deter idly for an answer. "no, you must be mad. HE will surely kill you, not only because you will defy him but also because you are a human." "yes, he despises humans. more than he despises weak digimon." still Yolie kept her ground, keeping her clenched hands firmly to her sides. "if I can find hawkmon, then he can digivovle and destroy this jerk." the old gabumon choked down his rebelling fear, scratching his fur at her determination. "my better judgment tells me to send you to your home world." Yolie gave a worried gulp, feeling the stares increase but she still kept up the bravado. "but," he continued, "my gut instinct says you can pull it off. he live's just over yonder, those mountains you see are actually his castle."

he pointed out of the forest to the dead plain in the left. "he has many ways to know if anyone is approaching. please be careful young lady, I feel you are our only hope for salvation." she thanked them for their help, running to the far away place. it seemed like she would never get there, that she would never see her partner again. but Yolie somehow found the foreboding place grow larger, her approach increasing, her fear heightened above the adrenaline.

in not time, Yolie found herself only a short distance from the castle, finding none of the traps and guards promised by the old gabumon. hell, she doubted there even was a threat behind those walls, only a fabrication of myths and legend strung together. 'I know hawkmon is in there, I can feel it. now, to just figure out where.' Yolie hid behind a bolder, looking the entrance doors over with furrowed brows. is it possible to just walk in the front door and get away with it? only one way to find out, and if she got caught then it would only led her to her friend that much faster.

pushing all her unsteady nerves down, Yolie waltz her way to the stairs, knocking lightly on the surface. no one answered, how typical. Yolie groaned at the weight of the blasted things, pushing her entire body against the doors to gain entrance, then discovering how dark and bleak it was on the inside. 'and don't forget freezing.' she hugged herself to retain some warmth, shivering by the unpleasant atmosphere loaming in every crevice.

spinning in many circles, the human girl held wide eyes of awe at the vast size swallowing up anything stepping foot in it. 'I'm defiantly gonna need a tour guide. hope they have a welcome wagon.' she walked a few more steps, observing many grotesque statues towering over her, snarling in a warning to those that dared enter into deaths home. no turning back now, nor would she want too when a friends life was in danger.

Yolie walked nearly blind down the halls, quietly, praying to find her friend before any more misfortune befell them. "oh, pardon me." a voice squeaked up to her, bumping gently on her ankle. Yolie practically yelped, leaping back in shock, having every hair on her body rise in utter fear. clattering her teeth together at the foreign touch, Yolie placed her gaze onto a small, almost completely white caterpillar digimon. he starred up at her, holding close to the scared look as she. "oh my, your a...a..." "a human, I know."

the worm crawled a little ways closer, never tearing his focus from this intruder. "what are you doing here, out of all places? didn't the other digimon warn you?" he was close to frantic, his voice trembled in concern. shaking her head politely, Yolie kept a defensive pose ready, you could never be too careful around a strange digimon. that was something she learned long ago. "your not gonna turn me in, are you?"

the larvae quickly refused such a thought, almost smiling in a weird wormy way, "no no, I wouldn't do that. not to a pretty girl like you. your in great danger being here, I must show you out." he used his head to push her along the way, trying to turn the girl around and lead her strait back to where she came from. groaning inwardly, she sidestepped his pushes, bending to one knee to place a gentle expression on and ease his discomfort. "Im looking for a friend of mine, I was told he might be here, but..." "it is a possibility, but if that's so, then he is no longer the person you know him as. I'm sorry." Yolie didn't understand, couldn't and refused that as an answer. she laid a hand on the bugs head, looking him dead in the eyes.

"please, if you can tell me where he is, I just want to find him. it's all my fault, I need to help him." the wormmon trembled at the very idea of aiding a human, of having a stranger roaming in the castle and his master discovering this. it would be his hide if this was discovered, but her gentle eyes... he didn't want to disappoint this girl. wormmon had a gift for reading a person's inner self, and this human held nothing but heart ach and love. she was full of nobleness and light, hopefully enough to drown out the demon's in this dreadful place. nodding to her, after much soul reading, wormmon took up her pajama leg, pulling Yolie to a staircase leading down. deep into the pits of the dungeon, a place all were kept and tortured until the imprinting was placed upon their flesh, stripping them of free will.

"be very quiet, and stay close to the center of the walk way if you value your limbs." Yolie was about to ask what exactly that meant, but once they exited the winding staircase and came to the first cells, all courage retreated into the horizon. only small, dim bulbs lined every other prison cage, digimon of all species scrunched in the shadows, mistreated, abused till insanity took them. it reeked of disgust and death, gagging Yolie from its foul stench. the right hand of death lurked here, hiding the horrors behind lock and key. she walked very close to the wormmon, swiveling her attention to each movement, every pace a rouge digimon made. "w-what happened to them?"

"experiments. failed experiments. some have been here so long; they lost themselves to the darkness. most of the one's you see will never be able to be released. there is no hope for them now." it saddened him almost as much as Yolie; perhaps they were just like the villagers at one time. "why do you do this to them? don't you have any sense of decency?" Yolie's whispers were becoming heated in rage; the snap was evident on each rising word. the wormmon just sighed, looking up to her over his shoulder. "I have no say in what goes on. I'm just a servant, lucky to escape with my life. but that can always change. I want to set them free, those that are still able to think and feel, but I...I'm too weak." he sunk his head low, ashamed of himself.

the silence hung over them, only the deep breathing of the on looking psychos and pacing of their restless bodies was heard. Yolie knew the worm spoke the truth, he didn't have a deceiving bone in his pale little body, and the way the prisoner one's watched her confirmed this. they held nothing inside their dead, hollow eyes except the promise of murder. one reached out for Yolie's fidgeting arm, screaming a high pitched yell that ripped her heart from her chest, pulsing it clear into her throat at the unexpected attack. its arms couldn't quite reach her, barely scratching the sleeve of her right hand. it was a fright strong enough to throw the human into turning ghost white.

even the wormmon leapt practically out of his skin, unaware of the hostility in these lost causes. they both moved on, much faster, trying to bate their hysterics down. "so, what is your friend? his name I mean?" "hawkmon." the wormmon stopped, turning around to face this human in an odd way, like she had just grown five heads. that couldn't be. the only hawkmon here once belonged to a digi-destined and that only meant that she... she was...'Yolie. oh my god, she's gotten so much taller. it's been ages since I last saw her.' wormmon smiled broadly, beaming brightly while showing the human the door. "make it fast, that scream most likely warned my master of your presence, so please keep it brief."

Yolie only stared at him blankly, and then hurried to the door her friend lay behind. "hawkmon, hawkmon answer me. are you in there? are you alright? please tell me." she bent to the bars at the bottom of the door, peeking in to find her little bird digimon. her partner. only shuffling answered her calls, and then large blue eyes peeped out to find hers. "Yolie? Yolie! what are you doing here?" "I could ask you the same thing." they both smiled fondly, embracing the other best they could with bars between them. "you've grown into such a beautiful young woman, I knew you would." Yolie blushed at his forever chivalrous personality, ready to fall crying into his feathers all the same. "and you haven't changed a bit. I was so worried. I didn't know what happened after the black out. I just want to get you out of here." this instantly forced hawkmon to pull away, nerving his lip at her statement.

"no, I want you to leave, I'll be fine. I can't have him finding you here." he was being his old self alright, wanting to place Yolie on a shelf so she would never break. "you should listen to him, we need to go. please Yolie, I must get you out of here." these digimon weren't listening. she was going to find the key and free her friend and this white wormmon no matter what they said. she wasn't just some stupid helpless maiden in distress; she was a digi-destined, and one of the most determined women in Tokyo.

"I'm not going anywhere with out freeing you guys first. how do I open this door?" Yolie searched the locking mechanism, baffled, even with her mechanical abilities, on how to get it to work. hawkmon took up her hand, misty eyed at her nobleness and lack of comprehending the situation. "just go my dear, don't worry about me." fat chance that was gonna happen. gripping his hands (feathers), Yolie bent closer to his face, flashing a quant smile to the over protective bird. "just be quiet bird brain. I have everything under control."

"do you now?" the voice cut into the air, low in its growled tone. wormmon instantly flattened himself to his spot, ready to burst out in tears in any given second. "m-master, I was just..." the sniveling digimon was thrusted into the distance, crashing into the hard floor near the dungeons steps. his echoing calls of pain fell onto Yolie's body, filling her chest with remorse for the helpful little servant. "I'll deal with you later." it was a sinister promise that the master anticipated. the evil dripped from this new threat, thickening the area until it found the human's quivering form, seeping into her inch by chilling inch.

his glowing focus fell directly on her, eating into her, causing every surrounding light to fade. Yolie nerved her lip, chewing down the urge to run, the panic racing upon her surging veins. "what are you doing here? why have you come?" he shifted in position, circling his prey with those hungry crimson orbs of his. those unfeeling, dead orbs.

standing with what little strength she held her own, Yolie lifted her chin, unwilling to give him the satisfaction to devour her shinning fear. "you have my friend in this cell; I want you to release him...if you please." "and if I don't?" a minuet trace of amusement blended into his dispisal, all of which falling on her. his target for the night, his victim that would never know the release from the tortures he already concocted. "then...then we'll fight you." her courage flew high, soaring with the hope to defeat him, but his malicious chuckle threw it all away.

the darkness crept further; she could feel it by each slow advancement he made. "we? I don't think you know who you're up against human." the master spat it out like an insult, berating Yolie for her dependence on such an inferior digimon. he stepped forward, only five feet away, destroying the comfortable distance they held. Yolie gazed up at the only light, his predatory eyes. this was a tall creature indeed, three to four feet higher than her head. "you don't scare me. we've been up against stronger opponents than you, I'm sure." her confidence was treading on dangerous grounds, this was certain by the twitch in his eye. but he remained silent, summing this pathetic excuses for space up. 'so she thinks. disgusting wench.'

Yolie raised her digi-vice, the perspiration drenched her clothes. "hawkmon! digivolve!" a glow came from the device, but nothing profited from its bright show. "I cant, it's been too long since I've done it." it was a solemn apology that couldn't come at a worse time. the maniacal laughter filled the dungeon, sending all the prisoners, including Yolie, to cower down to its undeniable power. "you had your chance. now," the dark angel held up his claws, allowing for her teary gaze to follow the shine they held, "you can die!"

the insanity drowned out any emotion held in his face, ripping the breath from the defenseless human before his might. time slowed, leaving behind the morbid screams of Yolie. she had shut her lids, awaiting the death inflicting blow, wanting to feel no pain in her departure from this world. all was black, with those blood lusting orbs to streak across the deflating distance, urging to pierce her flesh and feel the life fluid trickle down the length of his arm. "NO! Yolie run!"

'Yolie...?' his eyes narrowed on her, the jagged claws nearly pricking her throat. slowly pulling his hand down from her face, the master tilted his head, mapping her face, placing the features together from torn memories. his wings fluttered, forcing Yolie to release her withheld breath and return the drained color back into her scrunched face. 'it can't be her, its impossible.' leaning in closely, the heat between them burned Yolie's skin. she just knew if she opened her eyes he would be right there, ready to swallow her up.

blinking several times to confirm her appearance, the dark one regained his towering posture, waiting for this human to look up. "open your eyes, or I'll drink your life until the last heart beat falls." she did as he commanded, lost in his authorities voice. those eyes...they stripped his composure, burrowing into his soul. how did she possess such eyes as those? he had never realized their threat until now, when she no longer wore those large glasses. not even the prisoners dare make a sound, breaking their master's concentration. "will you let my friend go? I'm sure he hasn't done anything wrong, and if he did he is very sorry for giving you any trouble." it was difficult to keep one's voice steady when your heart in slamming in you throat, shaking everything inside.

the master scanned this girl's face, picking at her words, then shifted yet again in position. almost uncomfortably. "no. he defied me, and now suffers for it." he turned away from Yolie's pleading face, refusing himself to be drawn into her misery." he was just trying to defend the villagers YOU so ruthlessly attacked." she raised a fist, feeling the brim of tears dangerously dangling from her lashes. shear force wasn't going to win this battle, so the natural negotiating skills, sprinkled with some manners, was the only thing Yolie had left to bargain with. "please release him. I give you my word we will never bother you again." the master gazed over his shoulder, snarling down at the meek human yet again.

it was her eagerness to desert him that caused such a reaction, the sadness seeped into his chest, restricting the very air his lungs desired. 'she would leave me...to rot here. no. no! I wont allow that.' a twist churned in his stomach, tightening his throat. 'I must be rid of these feelings. I must find out what it is that keeps me bound to these-these HUMAN emotions.' he felt so awkward in his very own skin, like there was an itch far beyond his claws length to scratch and relieve. perhaps she held the answer. it was always the thought of that one girl shielding him seven years ago that forced his uncharacteristic to resurface. "the two of you together can cause complications. I wont have that happen in MY world." the dark angel flicked a finger, having one of the near by cell doors fluently swing open. "get in or I'll strangle that precious little neck of yours."

Yolie shook her head, afraid, terrified. backing into the door hawkmon still stood behind, the girl felt like collapsing into a heap again. his voice haunted her, stole the essence away into its black icy clutch. she could feel him arc an eyebrow towards her defiance, the electricity seeping from his body hinted his displeasure. the tension was mounting, the master was NEVER questioned, nor denied his wish. hawkmon extended his arm out, grasping Yolie's ankle in concern. "run Yolie. just run." "be quiet slave!" the master ruffled his feathers, grinding out his unquestioned command.

once the echo of the roar died into a mummer, the master pointed his finger at the vacant cage. "get in." it was purred slow, low from the deepest reaches of his vocal cord. a menacing order that forced his pupils to slit and narrow entirely on that one girl. Yolie still felt the presence of hawkmon's hands, her face turning to the digimon in a concerned forgiveness. 'I have to at least try something. anything to get hawkmon out of this. those villagers need him.' returning her gaze back to the watchful glare, Yolie came forward only two steps, clenching a hand to her heart from some unseen threat. "if we're so dangerous together, then why are you keeping us only ten feet away?" she chewed the inside of her cheek, praying that this plan to work.

the master never answered, just observed the situation from many angles in thoughtful silence. seeing she held his attention, Yolie pressed her luck further, continuing in her statement, "it would be smarter to let the most likely to cause you trouble go, dumping them as far from your castle as possible." the master ruffled his wings again, agitated he had

been so rash to over look this fact. having the two so near the other would only prompt them to scheme, and escape. 'but I can't just release her. not yet, not until I'm through with my dissection of this.'

the dark one placed a hand over his shoulder, feeling the rough feathers jabbing out in an unsettled mess. "you have a point. perhaps I can destroy one, and spare the other." a wild smirk smothered his face, hearing Yolie's gasp amused him. "no...you can't..." "I can, and I will." the dark flames licked up his arms, casting an eerie glow to shadow his features. "but who will die? a medaling human, or that worthless excuses for a mon? maybe, I should let you decide." his stance widened, pose to attack on the given answer.

for the first time in her life, she couldn't move, couldn't think. it was all happening too fast, sweeping her away in its frenzy pace. "make up your mind quickly, I don't have a lot of patience." the flames grew higher, hotter, it was stealing the girls breath away in its smoldering dance. beads of sweat tumbled down Yolie's back, she turned towards her cowering friend. hawkmon was motionless, speechless, but stared up at her with admiration all the same. "go Yolie." he mouthed the words out, unable to find the courage to speak it.

Yolie bent down to her friend, taking his hands in hers, placing the softness to her cheek. she closed both eyes to always remember the feel, her partner's warmth and reassurance. "I'm so sorry hawkmon." the whisper was full of unshed tears, rocked by the wave upon wave of heart ach at this sacrifice. but hawkmon only nodded his head in understanding, not regretting any of the time he had with his long lost friend. Yolie stood after the mental exchange of farewells, staring down her opponent. tilting her chin upwards with all the dignity she could scrap together, she some how mustered the ability to talk.

it was difficult to see his features, the attack was obviously meant for damage, not show. but even with the lack of pure revealing light, the human girl could still feel his wide, sadistic sneer. it was full of wickedness, hate, anger, and other assortment of things she never thought one soul was capable of harboring. he was expectant of her decision, rigid and ready, panting out his eagerness in crisp raspy breaths. "kill me than. so long as hawkmon can go free." the master thrusted himself forward, ready to fly past the girl to the cage, but abruptly stopped his movements after registering her words.

the amusement left, only engraved shock crossed his half hidden face. "what?" he slightly lowered his arms, noticing how close he now was to this odd young woman. Yolie spread her arms out, offering her life to him. "take me instead of hawkmon. I didn't stutter." for what little time he had, the master retracted from this strange creature, afraid of her for a fleeting moment. "why would you... do that? I'll kill you, horribly." she could detect the insurity in his voice, the way it cracked ever so slightly. Yolie also noticed it in those drowning red pools of his. what was he thinking behind it all?

"he's my friend. I love him." 'love...' the very word caught a lump in his throat, a distant guilt tugged his mind ever which way, shredding his heart in millions of directions. 'how can she love him? she doesn't even know what it is. I...don't even know what it is.' his body remained fixed in one spot, never betraying his inner turmoil. but his eyes said differently for one that happened to look. "t-that's no excuses. get out of my castle." he broke the eye contact, turning his focus down towards his claws, extinguishing the flames on his fingertips. 'their sweaty. why am I so nervous, and OUTRAGED with her? with myself?'

a protest lifted from Yolie's mouth, a scowl took possession over her face. "that's not fair! you left the choice up to me, and I made it." "you made the wrong one." he brought his wings up to block her view of his faintly outlined figure, wearing the feathers much like a mysterious cape. moving up to this dark digimon, Yolie stabbed an accusing finger into the wings, trying to jab him in the chest. "listen buddy, I don't know who you think you are, but I said I'd take hawkmon's place and I'm gonna do it." the master watched the way she poked at his upper stomach, unmoved by this female stubbornness.

"um, Yolie dear, you shouldn't make Mr. maniac killer angry." hawkmon threw in his advice, but it only caused Yolie's anger to snap at him. "be quiet hawkmon, I'm trying to negotiate here." the master finally caught her still probing hand, uncomfortable at her touching him like a piece of meat. he bent down enough she could feel his burning glow, "don't DO that." the low command was growled menacingly, narrowing his pupils on her still defiant expression. "let go, I'm not done poking you yet." Yolie went to wrench her hand loose, to struggle away from that clammy rock hard grip of his, but her efforts became apparently futile.

again he bestowed a low, powerful voice to her, not at all impressed when he issued out the chilling threat. "leave this place, and never return." she bit her lip, chewing down the lurching fear. his claws dug into her flesh, pricking little punctures around the wrist. "no. you want to kill someone, might as well let it be me. who knows when you'll get another human to use as target practice. you know you want too." Yolie pushed the excruciating jolts down to her empty gullet, wanting to numb out all feeling from the bone shattering hand that shackled hers. the mist glazed a covering over her chocolate pools, his glowing glare placed a sickening red light onto her skin. "how do you know what I want?" there it was again, that sad, undeniable tremble in his mighty tone. no matter how flat he wished it to be, it was never devoid of his true emotion...misery.

this was getting them no where. she wasn't going to leave. a piece of him rejoiced over the matter, another screamed in anguish. how could such a weak little girl keep the monster inside caged, only to roar its displeasure? "please, let me take his place." her fire had become embers, no longer was the flame inside thick and spreading. only fear dwelt, throwing the dark angel's heart skipping in panic. he brought his focus up to the cell hawkmon awaited, watching the little digimon shake his head in protest. the dark angel couldn't stand the loathing forming in her pleas, the dispisal. 'don't think of me like that Yolie. I cant have you see me through those eyes, to hate me like the others.' taking one soothing breath in consideration, he loosened his grip, softening his eyes only for a moment to stare at her...his sweet, independent Yolie.

"I'll release him, but you must remain here with me...forever." in an instant, Yolie felt like her insides would melt, becoming a staining puddle by that somewhat generous offer. 'at least he's not gonna kill me like earlier.' hawkmon screamed, denying his partner to take the fall for him. his shouts fell on deaf ears, Yolie's heart beat pounded in her head and the master held his breath for her response. she opened her mouth to answer, but found no voice to roll off her tongue. this creature was making an offer that she would be damned to refuse.

the dark digimon slowly pulled her hand closer to his feathers, letting her know what it was she was getting into if she still insisted to stay. the shadow black feathers brushed against Yolie's skin, and still he pulled her arm into the blanket of night on his shoulders. his hand was barely holding hers, giving the girl enough opportunity to yank away. lord only knew what was behind those wings. stumbling back to hawkmon, she thus spoke, the sound was scratchy and unfamiliar, but all the same commanding, "you have my word."

the whoosh of air swept pass Yolie as the dark one flung the cell door wide open. a fluent, graceful motion that only left the observers disorientated by the swift speed. and before Yolie could even bid her friend good-bye, he had vanished. leaving behind his brown feathers of where he once stood, and the screams of Yolie's name bouncing in echoes off the walls. she fell to her knee's, drained, exhausted from this ordeal. holding the soft memories of hawkmon against her cheek, Yolie wept silently for his safety, unable to move into the foreboding space now to be her home.

she had sold her soul to some monster, and now... she had nothing left. there is no words to describe the pain twisting inside. 'hawkmon... I'm so sorry. I love you.'


	5. Angel of death

**ch4 _"the angel of death"_**

the master stalked back to the place he knew she would be waiting for him, the dungeons where her friend once resided in. getting rid of the weakling was no problem at all, but coming back to the distraught human... now that was a whole new ball game. The saltiness of her tears grew in the air, causing many of the other prisoners to screech for blood, wanting to devour the tiny morsel in the stark insanity. The dark angel glided in front of the still sprawled girl, tilting his head at her quivering appearance. 'Why does she cry? I've spared them both, and yet she still...cries.'

He teetered uncomfortably, stiffening his shoulders towards her grief. It was the sighing of his wings that caught Yolie's attention, forcing her head to swing up and meet the one towering over her. "You didn't even let me say good-bye to him. I'll never see him again...and you just...just..." she cupped her face in both hands, sobbing violently despite his presence. This was uncharacteristic of her, but then again, this wasn't an ordinary predicament. All the guilt and sorrow over the course of seven years came flowing out, bursting forth from its building tension inside.

He scrunched his brows in utter reproach, unable to keep the shame from rising deep in his chest. It was like a hand tightly constricted all he said and did, tugging viciously on his heart strings for the one he had harmed. The master shrunk into the darkness, ashamed of all he was. He had done this, he had caused Yolie pain. It burned at the way he knew not how to comfort; the digimon couldn't even remember how to be sympathetic towards the suffering. Shielding himself with both wings, the master tilted his head away from the grim sight, shutting his eyes to try and drown out her grief.

Once her sniffles lessoned to only low breaths, he spoke, choking on the words, "I'll... I'll show you to your room." her quietness brought one wing down; he wanted so badly to see Yolie's face, to drown in her beauty. Her smile. How he missed seeing that all those years ago, even when it cost him a control tower or two. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, to think. 'Why is he doing this? It doesn't make any sense anymore.' "I thought you were going to keep me here. Or... Kill me." he remained silent at her tremble, allowing his feathers to fall away from the observing glowing orbs. "Be thankful I'm giving you your life. And perhaps you would prefer to rot down here in the dungeon?" "No."

That's what he thought, so straitening up, the dark angel extended a hand in a manner for her to follow. She stuck close to his form, from fear of what he would do if she wasn't following. Some of the prisoners hissed, snarling from displeasure as she was granted a freedom they had never received. The angel only bestowed menacing growls to silence their own sounds, noticing how unnerved it caused Yolie to be around the insane. His responded snarls didn't comfort her any either.

The castle was far bigger than Yolie could ever imagine, its halls were maze-like, twisting and turning with gruesome sculptures loaming around every corner. But the eeriness never fazed the one before her, he moved with such fluent grace it was hard to imagine he was even there, the sound of her own feet seemed to be the only noise heard. Yolie kept her head down, eyes half closed from still more tears that threatened to spill. The moisture on her face was fresh, never remaining dry for too long thanks to HIM. Turning his head over one shoulder, the dark one frowned deeply at the streams on her cheeks. she had every reason to despise him, though he hated it to show in that salty form.' please stop crying.' he begged inwardly, growing a depressed emotion at her constant sorrow.

wormmon appeared on top of a tall statue, watching the way this girl was granted a room instead of the usual prison cell. it was amazing at the little bend his master already made for her, the pale digimon leapt quietly onto the dark one's shoulder, a thing that would have granted him a one way ticket to obliteration if he hadn't have spoken quickly. "master, say something to her." the dark angel looked again over his shoulder towards Yolie, growing cold feet at the thought. "I have nothing to talk to her about." he whispered back grimly, casting his eyes to the ground. again, wormmon pushed his master, and his luck, to at least make Yolie feel even remotely comfortable here, "say anything, so long as you just start a conversation."

the master squared his shoulders, clearing his throat as he forced a quiet voice out to reach this human girl, disappointed in its betrayal of his concern, "your name is Yolie, am I right?" he wanted to kick himself for that, he already KNEW who she was. how could he forget someone like her! it was almost as pathetic a question as, is that your natural color? or, paper or plastic? 'of course it's Yolie, what else would she call herself moron!' she nodded, giving a confirming murmur to his question. it was hard for Yolie to talk to this creature; he made all of her inside's shrink and rebel against each other. perhaps that was why he held so much power. his presence alone destroyed you. feeling the shift of unease grow inside of this human, the master bit his lower lip, nervously adding on to what had to be running through her mind, "I won't harm you, so long as you do as I say. nor will I imprint you like the others. but be warned, I don't except impudence. so NEVER defy my word." again she nodded, unwilling to except all this just yet.

"w-what's your name? no one has told me yet." Yolie watched his feathers slink, rippling like black water even in this darkness. "ken." he had whispered the word, hardly having it loud enough for anyone to find audible. instantly, Yolie felt her eyes widen, unsure she had heard him right. just when she opened her mouth to confirm what he had said, the master halted in mid stride, kicking himself again for that slip. "my name is senmon." he turned around slightly, watching her reaction carefully, making sure she understood now. "oh." "but you will address me as master."

they walked further, with senmon not at all pleased with himself. Drooping the shoulder wormmon still rested on, the tiny digimon fell to the floor with a thud, nearly getting stepped on by the large feet of his master. "go fix a room for her." they all had to be completely filthy by the lack of maintance done to the vast chambers, and be damned if he was going to allow Yolie to have an allergic reaction to the mess. so now they stood in silence as wormmon disappeared into the dark, rounding up helpers for the task. Yolie...and the infamous senmon held their ground, alone with each other. it took several more lingering minutes, but senmon swung his body to face her now, still very much intimidating by his stature.

it seemed he couldn't get enough of drinking in her image, having an unseen smile fashioned onto his lips at her company. but the feeling wasn't mutual, Yolie wished so badly to stab him with something very sharp and pointy and make a mad dash to freedom. "you will do as I say, regardless of what it may be. and DONT try to escape, the consequences will be painful even for you." Yolie looked around the cobweb ridden place, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to grow some feeling in them. it was so freakin cold, 'why doesn't it bother Mr. dark and creepy over there?'

"because I'm not human, that's why." Yolie gulped at his answer, shaking from head to toe by the constant sneer that had to be playing across his face at this very moment. she could almost feel it. "y-you can read my thoughts?" the idea was horrifying, and highly possible. a thing she became very unnerved over. he nodded slowly, bending forward to allow this human to know he was indeed smiling. "does it scare you?" there was that mock again, something only a man with ultimate power could hold in his voice. "no." "your lying to me." he brought up a finger to shake in her face, clucking his tongue at the false bravado. "how are you able to do that? and why don't you leave my mind alone, it has private things in it." senmon straitened, chuckling darkly to himself at her annoyance.

"I'm special." he looked her over again, continuing freely without concern, "if you don't want me to find anything secret, then just don't think about it. if that's even possible." wormmon came to greet them after that said, smiling warmly up to Yolie, announcing her room was ready. once she entered the beautiful place, her mouth dropped at its splendors. it was all so shiny, so majestic, so large and she didn't have to share it with her sister. taking in the soft hues and silk curtains, Yolie's eyes fell on the bustling fire across from the bed, its flames instantly sparking the feeling back into her strained muscles.

"I think she like's it master." wormmon whispered under his breath, but the dark angel only turned his focus away from the girl, keeping his clawed hand over the door knob. 'but like I know she is thinking, it is only a pretty prison. a golden cage for my nightingale.' he tossed this over in his conscience shamefully, shutting his eyes distastefully for himself as he spoke, "don't get comfy, you will serve my dinner shortly." senmon hissed, slamming the door behind Yolie forcefully, nearly extinguishing the toasty fire in the hearth. Yolie was locked in like an animal until summoned, an instant reminder that SHE was still a prisoner here and shouldn't be fooled to think other wise.

she would've thanked wormmon and the others that fixed this place up for her, and would have even considered to thank that egotistic digimon as well, but he hardly gave her any time, and now she really didn't feel like complimenting that jack ass anyways. _'I heard that.' _his voice echoed into her thoughts, sending chills to run through Yolie's spine. "I told you to stay out of my head." Yolie paused to hear a response, but only had the impression he was smirking where ever it was he now resided._ 'YOU can hardly stop me. so get used to me being around every corner of your thoughts, discovering your deepest darkest secrets.' _

Yolie growled at his cocky nerve, chucking a pillow at the door, cursing at his intrusion of her thoughts. no one should have the power to go there; it was almost as sacred as a diary. and HE just treaded around like he owned the place, including her. 'well, technically he does. but that's besides the point.' "when I find out how your doing this, I'm going to rip it to pieces, blowtorch it to ash, and send it a one way ticket to davey jones locker." nothing but her own thoughts answered, leaving Yolie to sigh in relief. he was gone, and hopefully stayed that way. it was very uncomfortable to have someone ease dropping in your memories, reading you like a book. scooping the pillow in one hand, Yolie sat in front of the fire, wanting to feel its loving warm fingers graze over her body, to stay in the light as much as possible.

'I hate it here. I want to go home, I want to see hawkmon.' she sniffled into the pillow, closing her eyes as she hugged it close to her pounding heart. 'I cant stand him! I hate...senmon.' she fell onto one side, crying further into the cushion, wanting to drain herself of these morbid emotions. nothing ever went right for her, and things would only get worse from here on out. she scrunched into a little ball, repeating the same three words in her head like a chant, 'I hate senmon. I hate senmon.'

and as she drifted off to sleep, she could have sworn she heard his voice answer, dipped in the exact same sadness as she. it could always be her imagination, the sound was so small, but it had to be there. and it trembled with each sob that racked her own body, '_I hate him too_.'

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a knock shook the girl from slumber, casting away the pleasant dreams of being back at home in the real world. yawning, and stretching her arms from the stiffness, Yolie answered the constant gentle taps on her door, faintly annoyed someone had snatch her back into this horrid reality. "who is it?"

"its...uh...me, miss Yolie." came an all too familiar voice. opening it up, she peeked at the pasty green worm, having a smile tug the end of her lips. "hey there little guy. I thought you were dead meat for sure." she scooped him up in her arms, just happy to see a friendly face in this gothic place. wormmon gave his most reassuring grin, but never lost the tremble in his voice. "yeah, I'm pretty sure I am. I was just coming in to check on you. how are you doing?" she walked him back to the fireplace, seating the little digimon so he could regain that lost color to his cheeks.

rolling her eyes, she shrugged, lying back down on the pillow, "lets see. I'm stuck in a castle with no friends, other than you, and a really weird evil digimon that I'm sure is gonna use me for target practice is just around the corner. I'm doing swell" Yolie rolled to one elbow, tickling the bug's antennae with affection. "oh, well...it could be worse." he answered as reassurance, becoming a healthy green again. "I don't think he's going to do anything bad to you, he didn't say he would." "he said he'd deal with you later, but I don't see him doing it." that reminder made the color turn right back to white; he gulped down a large lump at the memo.

Yolie hugged the tiny digimon closely, snuggling up to ease that stress that was sure to give him a heart attack. "so how did you come to work under "his majesty's" foot?" she was just dieing to know, he seemed like such a sweet little wormmon too. what the heck ever possessed him to work for a villain like senmon?

coughing into his hand, wormmon swayed this way and that, picking his words carefully, "we go way back. there's a lot of history between us, but I don't think its wise to talk about it right now."

"you family or something?" Yolie batted her lashes to receive an answer, noticing a small, black tattoo underneath one of his antennae. "n-no. he's my friend."

"friend! what friend kicks you down the dungeon and treats you like dirt! that guy isn't your friend." she sat up, pissed that wormmon would consider a creature like senmon his buddy. stuttering with wide eyes, the bug looked up at the angered Yolie, wanting so badly to explain the circumstances to her. the insect went into defensive, trying to keep his tone from shaking too much, "he wasn't always like this you know. he was once very kind to me, and everyone else. but please don't tell him I told you that." Yolie huffed; unable to imagine the monster this digimon described ever being anywhere close to nice.

"don't blame him Yolie; he's had such a hard life. just be patient, I'm sure YOU can piece together that torn heart of his. I know you were once the digi-destine of love." "are you implying that I LOVE that horrible monster out there?" Yolie pointed to the door, gritting her teeth at what it was this mon expected her to do. which by the way, wasn't gonna happen anytime soon. "I'm not like you wormmon, I cant love something that doesn't want it. and I'm damn sure not gonna be nice to some stupid, self absorbed prick." the insect cracked a grin at her stubbornness, and the defiant fire she still held even after all these years.

shaking his head as he went to the door, he leapt up to twist the knob and exit. before he departed, the digimon turned his head back towards the still fuming girl, seeing the large pulse mark on the side of her head growing at such a thought as LOVING something like senmon. "Yolie?" she didn't answer, but gave a very questioning look towards him. it was a look only an infuriated woman could conjure, and that was enough to cause the digimon to gain several sweat droplets on the side of his incisors. wormmon twiddled his claws, and took a step out, "you should at least give the master a chance, you bring something out of him I haven't seen in years. don't let him tell you otherwise either, or push you away. just look past the rest and see him. because..." wormmon took a hold of the wooden door, taking many more steps back before going any further.

only a crack remained to see the white worm hide, he finally lifted his voice past the mumbles, ready to run at any minute, "because... he loves you." Yolie's eyes nearly popped out of her head, forcing all the hairs on the back of her neck to rise at what that digimon said. "whoa whoa, wait a minute..." but he was gone, locking her back in the room before she could get any more out.'no way. wormmon is making this up. he doesn't even know me; I don't want to know HIM. when did I fall into the twilight zone!' taking in many soothing breaths, Yolie flopped back on the pillow. this was defiantly a time to think, to get a hold of the spinning world. but the calm, cool, collected Yolie didn't remain long. she kicked her arms and legs in the air, rolling back and forth, whining into the open, "now I defiantly want to go home."

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the dark one removed the computer wires from his flesh, turning towards the door for any sign of wormmon's constant interruptions. the insect always was punctual to annoy him. but tonight... he seemed behind schedule. sighing loudly when the white digimon never showed, senmon glided out to peer down the hall, unable to see a soul. nothing, not even his imprinted slaves stood out in its stretching darkness. closing his eyes, he thus concentrated on the location of his servant, scanning the larvae's mind with his own. senmon halted before he found the connection, lifting an ear to hear whining infiltrate the castle.

"Yolie." in a blink, senmon was taking long strides to find his worm, screaming for the digimon mentally and physically. the paled creature scurried up to his master, bowing many times while trying to find his breath. "y-y-you called?" extending his wings, senmon turned to the direction his suit resided, threatening over one shoulder, "have her bring my food to me, I haven't eaten in three weeks." the dark angel stopped in his door frame, watching his servant coward from the red glowing eyes staring back at him. "and wormmon, don't disappoint me."

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Yolie was now looking out her window, leaning her forehead against the cool glass panels. only far away specks remained of the distant forests and villages, this castle was surrounded by a rock wasteland. the wind howled, the clouds loomed, blotting out the stars that once gave her so much hope. only the memories of her loved one's comforted her now, and Yolie didn't even want to fathom what her future was going to be like tomorrow. she doubted her friends could even find a way to help her once they noticed she was missing.

'and Kari's wedding...' Yolie was destined to miss that too, along with the rest of everyone's lives outside of this stone hell. scrunching her brows, the girl glanced away from the window, nearly falling into relentless tears again. gnawing feverishly on her lip, she had twirled to her bed, nearly gasping at the wormmon sitting there, mimicking the same expression she held. "I know its hard to look at, and all seems lost, but theirs always a little hope." he spoke like a true soul that lived by these words, and perhapes die by them.

"yeah yeah, I know. but you gotta admit, it does appear I'm screwed for the moment." Yolie threw in as a jest, ready to sit next to her only friend in this place and feel his comfort. but he quickly coughed into one hand, rising his eyes up regretfully, "I wouldn't get too cozy, the master wants you to serve him now." "feh. tell him to serve himself, I'm sick of his snotty attitude." the girl laid back on the softness of her blanket, rolling onto her belly to snuggle under its warmth. the digimon again cleared his throat, nudging the human with his head, "the master doesn't like to be kept waiting. and it will be all of our necks if you don't do as he says. please Yolie, try to do as he commands tonight, he's not at all in a good mood."

"and when is he ever?" she barked out sarcastically, still feeling the wormmon try to move her. it was apparently obvious he wasn't going to leave her alone in peace, so when push came to shove, "fine. I'll do it for you wormy, and try to get you off the hook for showing me around. but when I'm done, I'm gonna be out like a light and not even the apocalypse is going to get me up." "lets just not remind him of that then. hopefully, he'll forget about it and YOU wont be thrown in the dungeon."

wormmon showed Yolie to the kitchen, then took her halfway down a very intimidating hallway, alert and on edge when they approached the cold place. "just down there is his chambers. don't forget to be polite, and do as he says. I don't want to see you getting hurt." once announced the pale digimon vanished, scampering down the hall in retreat from the loaming darkness ahead of her. he wasn't one for bravery, and frankly, she didn't blame him. 'if I could only run like that.' turning to the destination that awaited this human soul, Yolie felt all unnerved by the atmosphere, nearly feeling the evil of something twisted at the end of the hall seep into her pores. and that evil had to be oozing from senmon. she was all alone on this journey, no one there to hold her hand, no digimon partner to treat her like glass. it was all Yolie, flying solo.

taking a lengthy breath, and her sweet time to get there, Yolie bit down the fear, swallowing hard once she reached the doors.

knocking lightly, she felt him shuffle around, heard the tapping of his claws scrap against objects. 'hope he isn't sharpening them for lil ole me.' she pressed an ear to the wood, picking up grumbles that spewed every profanity ever created, along with his constantly twittering angel wings. it seemed he had a bad habit of twitching them around, either for show, or from unconscious nerve. kinda like a twitch in the eye, which he also held thanks to her.

Yolie lifted a hand, trying louder this time to catch his attention. 'maybe I can just slide it under the door, lid and all.' she smirked at the thought, but instantly had the holy ghost snatched clean out of her soul when she went to bend down. senmon yanked the door open, eyeing the girl stoically. "it took you long enough." he flashed a crimson glow from his narrowed pupils, gritting his teeth. returning to a small table, senmon left Yolie the opportunity to enter. the place was very large, with a balcony big enough for him to take flight from or perch any time he wished. there were also several doors that led to various other rooms, such as the bathroom, his sleeping chambers, and what ever else an evil villain such as he required.

this, apparently from the shelves of books, was his study. "get in here." he snarled, pulling Yolie back out of her drifting thoughts. yet, unlike her own chamber she noticed, this one was far darker, much like the occupant that dwelt in it, mirroring his personality. Yolie hesitated for a brief moment, having the lump of fear swell inside her chest. if she kept this attitude up she was going to resemble wormmon in appearance. and that wasn't good.

surveying the area carefully, the girl followed shortly after, allowing her eyes to fall upon the one she now took orders from. Yolie's jaw dropped, her vision set upon this digimon. she hadn't ever received a good look of him until now, he had always remained deep in the shadows, masking himself in the black cloak of his wings. but now... a fire burned for the needed light, illuminating the mystery. he was tall, just as predicted, slightly lanky but well built.

senmon was truly a dark angel, a gothic replica of the holy adversaries of god depicted in pictures of old. his ears were tiny miniature versions of his wings, folded against his head to block out any unwanted noises other than what surrounded him. no shirt was worn, but bandages spiraled around nearly every inch of his body, hiding away secrets from a curious eye.

he had on a pair of grey baggy pants, torn and tattered toward the edge that hinted a gruff touch. his hair was shaggy and black, sticking into an untamed mess around the ear wings. a long, scarlet material loosely covered the bottom half of his face, flowing down the valley of his back between the wings to almost graze the ground. and upon each wrist was a shackle, the broken chains dangled silently, with large spikes jutting out around it. he was truly a sight to behold, and one to reckon with. yet through his roguish, captivating appearance, it was apparent senmon was not one used to admiration. he instantly took Yolie's silence as scrutiny, placing harsh lines around the dark rimmed eyes of his.

a furious growl infiltrated Yolie's thoughts again, she had to blink many times to return back to her duty. "stop staring at me and put the food on the table." senmon sat the book he was previously engulfed in on a desk, walking over to the place he was intended to feast at. his claws were very long and sharp, she knew this from the many slashes running over the leather skin of the book, reminding Yolie of a mighty grizzly bear or cougar. doing as told, she set the tray aside, then stepped back, keeping her tongue in check just as wormmon had instructed. it was probably the best advice he could give her.

Yolie went to exit this creature's presence once she felt he had no further need of her, but senmon had other things in mind. he immediately used that strange power of his to shut the door, locking Yolie in with him like a rat in cage. she clenched one hand to her pounding heart when the exit closed abruptly, perspiration thick sheets of sweat in every imaginable place. senmon gave his trademark chuckle at the dark patches signaling her distress, lapping up the meat and brew hungrily. "did you have other plans?"

she rubbed at her arm, slowly turning back around to face this darkly charming threat. 'must be brave, don't let him see your fear. that'll only give him an advantage, so stick it to da man.' senmon waved a hand in the air, the flames died down to a tiny glow, basking the two in a bath of fading shadows. he wasn't one to have her see his face, the master was very careful with that. "what are you afraid of my dear? that I'm going to eat you up?" 'I wouldn't put it past you.' Yolie mumbled deep in her mind, rolling her eyes at his persistent cockiness. '_I don't bite, I just nibble.' _that forced her to press up against the door, trembling by that smiling hiss in his tone.

the sound of the dark one chewing was very tiring, Yolie swallowed hard, trying the knob again. still locked. "how long are you going to keep me in here?" "as long as I want. you don't have anything better to do." senmon flicked a finger in the air, having a small chair from the corner fly up to the table invitingly. "have a seat." she shook her head, still smashing her body into the hard surface of the door as much as possible. the master furrowed his brows, sending the red to twitch into his eyes. "I said have a seat." his voice was authorities, and left nothing to argue with.

the table he leaned upon moaned in stress, the digimon's power rose to cause everything around him to shutter by the destructive force building inside. swallowing hard, Yolie did as commanded, knowing the worst would happen if she still refused. the static in the air died down, returning from wince it came, leaving the girl to feel even more unnerved by sitting so close to this unpredictable monster.

senmon returned his focus onto the empty plate, placing the scarf back over his face after the last bite vanished. he had no idea why he insisted on her joining him at the table. perhaps it was having her just stand there to burry daggers into his form that ate away at his conscience, or perhaps it was the fact no one had ever done so, not even when he WAS human. it was so very lonely always being by yourself, he scarcely knew how to interact, much less start a conversation now-a-days. it was the teenage human part of him that made this difficult. a digimon could survive without seeing another and live quit happily in isolation. but a human... they needed interaction. he needed others. senmon...ken, needed comfort, just like everyone else, no matter how hard or how much he wished to deny it. especially on hollow nights much like this.

"d-did you find your room pleasing?" he was stuttering, 'moron!' Yolie kept her hands folded in her lap, never taking her eyes off of them, nodding. she was trying so desperately to keep her thoughts well away from insults, he could read them as easily as if she said them out loud. much like an open book. senmon moistened his lips, bringing the flames back up so he could see her, to drink in this young woman's image. she was trembling, and on edge. staring at her concerned face, the angel wanted so badly to smooth out those wrinkles on the edge of her lips. it appeared she would crack and crumble if that frown didn't lesson, which the great digimon just couldn't allow to happen. extending one unsure hand across the table, senmon dabbled a cool claw across her cheek, fully captivated by Yolie's beauty. he hadn't even given the action a second thought, reaching out for someone that wanted comfort, to someone that entranced the darkness inside.

Yolie instantly jerked away from the foreign touch, eyes wide in fright. where the hell did he get the impression he could lay even a finger on her body! placing her hand over the cold trail he had left on her cheek, Yolie leapt from her spot, almost toppling the chair in her haste to put distance between them. "don't you come anywhere near me you weirdo!" 'if you try that stunt again I'll break the hand off and ram it up your ass!' he merely tilted his head, sneering towards that threatening thought of hers. 'how easily she forgets.'

senmon stood calmly from his seat, loaming over the defiant human. '_you fail to remember who is the master around here, and your place.' _"**I **control you. **I **decide every move you make, my dear, because **I **own you." he had rounded the table gracefully, almost without Yolie even realizing it until he was practically on her. "and **I **told YOU to stay out of my head." she barked back, quivering from his constant per suite. scrunching slightly, Yolie tried to puff her chest out, but that only caused unwanted attention to a place his eyes had already drifted too more than once. "how are you doing that any ways? how can you read my thoughts?"

senmon lifted his gaze back into Yolie's face, placing both hands behind his back. "haven't you noticed that little mark on the back of your hand?" shaking her head, she took a gander, finding a fading black feather tattoo over the hand he had once held in the dungeon. before her mouth could ask, the dark angel continued, placing all that arrogance into his voice, "its called imprinting. I have a connection to all those I have branded, including you. the darker the mark, the more control I have over that person. so if you persist in disobeying me, I can always make it much worse."

Yolie could feel the tears eating away at her, she tried to rub the black stain away, but it never changed, only causing the skin to grow red and raw. senmon snickered, squinting his lids at the amusement. "only I can remove it. and you... well, why would I stop dipping into your thoughts? they're so interesting. especially the ones about friends, the digidestined." he was able to discover all their weaknesses because of her, and if they ever made it to the digital world, he would squash them so easily it sickened the girl.

"don't." Yolie placed both hands over her ears, in a feeble attempt to keep him out. '_you cant hide from me, no matter where you go or what you do. I'll find you_. _not even your friends can save you, because I'll always be right HERE._' Yolie turned away from him, clenching both eyes shut to drown out this monster, to keep her loved ones safe. "what do I have to do to keep you out?" he was quiet for a moment, thinking, scheming. her love for others was her weakness, something senmon had no trouble exploiting for his own sadistic advantages. 'I know I shouldn't, but I just cant resist. when will I ever get another opportunity?' a smile plagued his lips, enough that would frighten god's right hand angel Gabriel himself.

senmon was unsure of his emotions, but it appeared that rational thought fled him for tonight, giving in to the needs of a depraved youths fantasies. "I have many things I would like you to do. but for tonight," using those invisible powers to spin Yolie around, the dark angel pulled her hands away from her ears, holding them so tenderly in his clutch. not one claw scraped against Yolie's skin, and she was very thankful for his awareness. "don't pull away from me." he informed her, purring the words with a coat of command in the low rumble.

she trembled, shook from the inside out while looking into his face. what could he possibly be plotting? did she even want to know? Masterfully stroking her pulse with his thumbs, senmon gave a wider grin at the rapid beat, entranced by their softness. "now," he continued, using two fingers to hold over this girls eyes, leaving his claws to retract greatly before doing this gesture, "I want you to keep your eyes closed, no matter what. never open them until I tell you too." senmon wanted this made perfectly clear, dwarfing the terrified human in his greatness. Yolie did as he ordered, ready to collapse from the rubbery feel her legs now held, the mistiness clouded her vision.

chewing his bottom lip, senmon watched her stay that way for a few more seconds, wanting to remember this somewhat peaceful state Yolie stood in before him. after banishing any further thought, and allowing the full storm of his emotions to spiral, senmon slowly bent over this young woman, pulling down the cloth that hid his lower face. he tipped Yolie's head up towards him, shutting his eyes as he claimed her lips, crushing them with his own. she was so soft, so delicious, senmon doubted he had tasted anything so sweet in all his existence.

stroking her bottom lip with his tongue, he found entrance into her mouth, burning the new thrill into memory. the rush both felt, the firmness mixed with the gentle, the first kiss between the two was strange, but compelling. Yolie had gasped when senmon had done this, caught off guard, only to open her mouth and give him entry and take full advantage of her powerless form. he knew she couldn't pull away, and she did suppose this wasn't as bad as what she thought him to do to her. this was actually...enjoyable. 'wait! he's evil, he's twisted! what am I doing! get him away, I don't want him to be this close, I don't want him touching me like this!'

Yolie moved her head this way and that, struggling, trying to force his intrusion out of her mouth. senmon wasn't finished, nor planned to be any time soon. he nipped her with one warning fang, producing a sigh from the girl, a sigh that proved defeat. taking Yolie deeper into the kiss, he cradled her head with one hand, smashing her body against his, waiting patiently for this girl to return what he gave. slowly, but surely, she did. Yolie brought her hands up to his chin, stroking its frame delinquently, fingering the scar's he covered from her. after she twisted her lips around his bottom one, and she had managed to stroke one large scar inarticulate, senmon broke away heaving for breath.

she slid both lids open, almost to quickly before he could place the cloth back on. senmon stroked the scar through the scarlet fabric, the one she had found so easily, the one he regretted the most, backing away from this girl in shock. nothing was more rattling than what he had done, the sin he must have committed tonight to surely send his soul to burn in hell. 'what have I done?' turning his head away from her, senmon flicked a hand into the air, opening the door Yolie had once been propped up against. "leave." he commanded, low and menacing with loathing dipped heavily in that one word. Yolie hardly had time to find her strength after that attack, flushing up to her roots by that intimate ravish of her mouth. placing two fingers on her swollen lips, she stepped forward, slightly jared thinking she had done something horribly wrong to upset her master.

"senmon..." "I said leave!" he snapped, a bestial rumble forcing the very room to tremble. the smoldering glare told Yolie she was no longer welcomed, he had gotten what he wanted and had no further use for her tonight. he didn't have to tell her again, and as quickly as he had shouted, she had vanished to find the sanctuary of her room. the haven senmon had bestowed her. watching Yolie run from him shot a pain through his chest, ripping away at his heart to see the terror. she feared him...she had every right to fear a monster such as he, but did it have to bother him so greatly?

senmon turned to his fireplace, sitting in a cushioned chair where he mostly read and thought. he felt like he was wrapped into a dream world there for a moment, clumsy, unrealistic when Yolie was next to him. she made the darkness desert him, and for that fleeting moment she was in his arms he felt...happy. so quickly she made him forget what he was. the angel of death, the monster in the night. 'she's just a human, a pathetic useless human wench!' rubbing a hand over the throbbing migraine, senmon withdrew a deep breath, clamping his teeth shut to repel any growls. he stared off in a daze, watching the flame's consume the logs greedily. the memory replayed relentessly in the dark digimon's head, forcing senmon to reach a hand up to finger his still tingling lips. 'no. she's more than that. I want her here...with me. I should call her back.' he lifted an ear up, concentrating on the girls footfalls. only disappointment greeted him when he found her already huddled in the chamber, shivering from that ordeal.

there was that sharp pain again, it was becoming quite familiar as she crawled under his many layers. 'I cant fall in love with her, it would only cause weakness. she doesn't think of me as anything... but a monster.' smashing one hand into the arm of his chair, something warm and wet traveled down his cheek, making its way to his chin in a blazing trail. reaching a startled hand up to the liquid, senmon was puzzled at first to see the red droplet. a choking lump caught in his throat, the dark one rubbed the bloodspot between his fingers and cuddled up into his chair, bringing his knee's up to his chest in a means to ease the tension building inside his stomach. 'my tears, my cursed tears. she can never see them.'

bowing his head further, he shut his lids for the night, wanting to find Yolie in his dreams. to hold and love her without fear, without regret. 'she will never love me. she could never love me...' his thoughts became hazy, his wings blanketed him when the coldness pierced through his skin. senmon sniffled, as would anyone caught between a battle between one's head and one's heart. 'but...' the dark angel continued, knowing this was a condemning statement, yet he still admitted it secretly all the same, 'I will always love you, Yolie.'

another tear fell, senmon buried his face into his arms. _' I will never let you run away from me, little sweet, not like before. never...'_


	6. Guessing game

**Vixon: thank you so much to the reviewers, Koi Seracus and Midnight breezy, you made me so happy cus I really was going to junk the story. Sorry little bro but I began to get sad that no one went back to review it again. (Sigh) Oh well, live and learn. Getting the next few chapters up will be a snap now. **

**ch5 _"guessing game"_**

Yolie awoke to the bright eyes of wormmon staring directly at her. The little white digimon had been right in front of her face for who knew how long, but he was there, smiling curiously. "Did you have good sleep?" he asked in the shaky voice of his, perhaps a little fearful she hadn't. Nodding in approval, she sat up, toppling wormmon in her rising. "Yeah, it was like sleeping on cloud 9." she stretched every ach out, then leaned on one elbow to find comfort in conversing with her friend.

"so what are you doing up here so early?" the bug made himself at home, twittering his antenea in thought. "I heard you and the master had a nice time, or else you wouldn't be laying here to talk with me. and he seems to be in a fickled mood, so something happened."

Yolie blushed, turning away from the digimon in embarrassment. she placed a hand over her lips, still feeling the throb in the memory of him stealing away the right of her first kiss. Yolie prayed that senmon hadn't left a visible bruise from the wild claim of her mouth the other night, or else the rumors would spread like a plague and ruin her good name in the digital world. if she even had a good name now. "it was...uh...interesting." "interesting?" he cocked an eyebrow, crawling a bit closer to see the red upon her face thicken. "in what way my dear?"

again Yolie covered her mouth, trying to dodge that edge of interest in wormmon's gaze. "oh, you know, we just kinda talked." "about...?" he pressed, leaning into her face with that mischievous glitter in his eyes. gulping, and feeling every hair stand on end, Yolie twisted and turned in place, "stuff. I cant remember." wormmon somehow got her hands from her mouth, a little help from his sticky web, seeing the slight scratch on the corner of her lower lip and the shaken rosy cheeks she wished would cease burning. "oh, now I see. it looks like talking was the last thing that went on in that room." Yolie snaked her hands out of the stickiness, swatting the nosy little insect across his head.

"its not like that! I didn't...well, it's not like I...!" growling, Yolie crossed her hands in front of her chest, huffing out the frustration while wormmon nursed his throbbing goose egg. "it was a small price to pay for my privacy." "he does drive a hard bargain doesn't he?" Yolie nodded, easing her goose bumps to lay flat again. "I wonder if he does that to ALL his clients." wormmon laughed, rolling over at the thought. "hardly. just you Yolie. I told you you brought something out of him. and when the master has a body like that, well, how can you resist?" snorting, Yolie furrowed her brows, taking on a sly look. " he doesn't have a sexy body! I think he's repulsive in every way! lets just hope, and I do mean HOPE, I don't bring anything out of his pants. that is, if digimon HAVE anything." she didn't know and frankly didn't want to know, so she was thankful wormmon had only gulped and refused to answer that.

"changing topics here, the master wishes for you to serve him breakfast now." "NOW? this early! is it going to break his legs to get it himself?" she flopped down onto the disarray covers, groaning at the tight work schedule he placed her in. wormmon scooted closer, coughing politely into one hand, "don't worry about it. all's he wants you to do is bring his food to him, and other than that your free to do as you please with the remainder of the day. I know it's hard to sit with him, but be patient." the bug gave another reassuring smile, holding down a swirl of concern for the outspoken human. she had a feisty streak in her that could cause harm to herself.

"can I have five more minutes?" Yolie placed the pillow over her head, ready to pull the covers back over herself. but wormmon was already pushing the girl ever so gently to the edge of the mattress. "no no. he has been waiting for far too long and demands you up there now." mumbling sour things under her breath, Yolie threw some clothes on that wormmon handed her, brushed her hair and teeth and slipped her contacts in. she was already getting the morning thing into a daily ritual, and now she found herself at her "master's" doors again, waiting to receive admittance into the room.

it creaked open, with senmon leaning against a window in deep thought. there was hardly any light that filtered through the dark clouds, but again the fire was built up, giving its welcome to all. Yolie quickly placed the tray on the table, backing up quietly so as to avoid him noticing her presence. "stop." he ordered, never tearing his focus from the outside world, halting Yolie's retreat just as she was one step from freedom.

standing strait as a rod, she awaited what it was he would say, pulling her lips into a thin line. senmon went through a mental check list, planning his day out just right, thinking of nothing but conquest and breakfast. turning slowly to this human servant, he gave an unseen smirk, liking the outfit she had chosen for today. it was a special design, of light purple kimono with bright orange and pink clouds stitched into it. wormmon had done good to give her this to wear. the dark angel always was one for tradition, just as in the past.

quickly, he pulled from wandering thoughts, his impure imagination, growing several shades redder at the certain area on her chest he had been starring at for the longest time. "yeah, that's right. my face is up here." Yolie pointed to the angry expression, causing senmon to scrunch up involuntarily and gulp. the dryness wouldn't stop torturing his tongue, no matter how many times he swallowed the spittle. gliding to his seat, senmon again made the other chair pull out for Yolie. she scratched her elbow nervously, the little butterfly wings fluttered uncontrollably against the wall's of her stomach. "I-I really don't want to bother you while you eat. I think I'll just go find wormmon and see if there's some cards we can play or something."

senmon raised a brow, tapping one finger into the table top impatiently, "you don't need to hang around that spineless coward. sit with me so we can...talk." " is that all? you wont try to...?" Yolie didn't want to give him any idea's, nor finish what she was going to say. the thoughts of the intimate kiss still made all her insides quake. senmon chuckled, nervously, but tried to play off cool. _'would you like me too? I can do better than last night.' _Yolie yelped, slightly jumping in place. "you said you wouldn't do that if I..." she place a hand over her mouth, shielding it from his burning attention. "I say a lot of things, but you hardly stuck with the deal. you opened your eyes." he had such a way to manipulate things, sending Yolie to swing herself furiously to walk out the door and far away from THAT man. you never can get used to someone talking to you in your head, especially about something like that. and to have him twist everything into his favor, 'grrrrrr!' he made all of it sound like it was either a threat or a promise.

"wait." senmon called, standing from his chair to halt the girl, a stroke of panic rang thick in his command. she didn't want to wait, she was already down the hall and didn't feel like turning back. Yolie sped up her pace, ready to break out in a dead run if he pursued her, but he never did. he just used that ole black magic of his to obstruct her path, having the statues to spring to life and snarl their victim into compliance. Yolie took many steps away from the stone monsters, the perspiration drenched her body, sending the cold to bit harshly into her flesh. would he really sick them on her?

_'come back and sit with me. I wont have them harm you if you do this willingly.'_ for all the defiance she held, for all the up roaring fear that spilled into Yolie's veins, she couldn't dodge these strange creatures, and he sure wasn't going to let her leave that easily. clenching her fist's to her side, she reluctantly did as senmon ordered, complaining inwardly all the same.

Yolie could just feel his triumphant sneer, confidence clung to him, and it was just enough to send her teeth on edge. "that a girl, I knew you weren't stupid." he began to pull the cloth from his face, but instantly stopped, turning towards Yolie sitting close by. he pushed the tray her way, allowing the alluring scents to waft into her face, teasing and taunting the girl in all its delicious smells. "I don't suppose you would want some."

"no."

"sure?"

"yes."

"positive?"

spinning to meet his gaze, Yolie gave that do-I-look-positive look to him. "does it matter?" she hissed, trying to push the chair out so she may stand. it never budged, no matter how hard Yolie went to get free.

senmon, in all his wickedness, reached a hand over to grasp her face, puffing out Yolie's cheeks in his grip. "you shouldn't fight me my little sweet, because **_I _**will always win." Yolie could only bore holes into his form, hating him with a dark passion. he watched the sadness and rage burn bright in her eyes, enough to where the dark angel felt the scorch. "you have such pretty eyes." senmon commented, loosening his hold just enough to stroke away the frown. lost in the rich chocolate storm, the angel nearly felt like he would drown in them if he didn't pull away.

Yolie had nothing to say, nothing to respond with. she half expected another snotty remark, but got an honest compliment that threw all her sarcastic comebacks right back down her throat. senmon stood, removing his hand only to place it on the nape of her neck. "I wont intrude your thoughts, unless you call to me, which I highly doubt you will. but I AM going to talk to you again." he came behind her, moving both hands to balance on her shoulders. "tonight, I will choose something for you to give me if you still wish for privacy." a chuckle came to be heard, sending the unease to race back down the spine of Yolie. she rubbed the feather tattoo on her hand, skin crawling under his touch.

senmon massaged her muscle's, tenderly, affectionately, squeezing to calm that growing fear. bending just slightly, his warm breath made it through the scarlet fabric, tingling her lobe, "we're going to have such fun." he whispered into her ear, kissing her temple as he glided away, leaving Yolie without breath.

after he had left, Yolie leapt out of her seat, running down the hall to her room in fear. was he serious? did he just kiss her... AGAIN! ever since last night, and those tainted promised words he had spoken to her just before she had fallen asleep, Yolie was riled beyond imagination. it seemed like this digimon was trying to seduce her, a very sick and twisted digimon at that.

she wanted so badly to bolt from this insane place, to just leave all the stress and sexual harassment behind to return back to the normal life she knew and kinda loved. racing down the stairs, she skidded to a halt once wormmon crossed her path, nearly colliding the two into each other. startled, and ready to fall over from the near death experience, the pale digimon gave a breath cloud of relief when Yolie plopped down on her butt, swooping him up into a large hug. "oh wormmon, I was so scared." she wailed, choking the poor guy further, "he just wont leave me alone, and is always touching me, and I think I'm gonna have to get pepper spray just to have some personal space. do you think that'll be enough to hold him back?"

he didn't answer, not until she loosened the squeeze. coughing into his claw, the digimon looked up at her quite seriously, "I told you he like's you, what else did you expect?" "oh, I don't know, some respect maybe." that was a laugh, wormmon gave a sideways grin, helping Yolie up to her feet. "you'll get used to him eventually. just make the best of the free time you have now. I have some boards games you might like to play, though I must admit I stink in shoe's and ladders. and candy land is a bit challenging for me to comprehend." he furrowed his brows, making thoughtful noises as they walked.

Yolie couldn't help but smile, walking side by side with her friend. "what about monopoly? I rock at that, so long as I'm the shoe. I kick butt with the shoe." and so for the rest of the day. they played board games, finding it less than thrilling but thankful it was all there was to do around here beside get blown up or have one's personal space invaded.

and quickly, the distant day became a cool wet evening, having the loaming clouds finally break open to cry out into the world. Yolie sat by a window, dealing cards for the 50th time today. wormmon wasn't really a match at anything, nor did he possess a good game face for poker either. but at least he kept right on smiling, never a sore loser, and always willing to give it another go for victory.

Yolie stared blankly at the raindrops sliding down the glass panels, wishing she could be out there to catch the moisture on her tongue with hawkmon. _'where's my dinner, my sweet?'_ senmon was speaking telepathically to her again, forcing an unexpected yelp to spill from the girls mouth. after registering the voice, and remembering to who it belonged to, she grumbled inwardly at his intrusion, wanting to chuck her cards at the invisible thread that connected them now.

'I'm busy beating wormmon, your gonna have to wait.' his laughter lifted into the air, causing Yolie to wander if it was merely him in her head or his sound echoing down the corridors. _'he has a royal flush. bluff him and he'll fold.' _why did wormmon doubt himself so much? she looked down at her friend, nearly tempted to mark another win for herself from the advice senmon handed, but thought differently when noticing the digimon give a worried expression of indecision.

sighing to herself, she smiled down at her friend, plopping her cards down. "I got crap this time, what about you?" he beamed brightly, showing his hand in triumph. "is this good?"

nodding, Yolie stood, brushing her kimono off in a fake upset manner, "you beat me. I cant believe it but you won fair and square. you really should play more often." "if we had actually been playing, I'd owe you everything I own." the two snickered as wormmon scurried to the kitchen, knowing it was that time of the day again by Yolie's worried face. "I'm surprised he's actually kept his word about staying out of my head." Yolie commented, waiting on the gabumon chef to finish fixing the meal. he was another mindless drone that she had seen plenty of in just her first day, noticing his tattoo mark was on his forehead and very dark.

wormmon placed silverware on the tray, looking up with a smile, "if I can say one good thing about the master, he always keeps his promises. I sure hope he's forgotten about dealing with me later." the insect gave a shutter, dreading when that event was going to happen. Yolie scowled slightly, rubbing a finger on her temple while arranging the napkin's. the lingering thought of senmon waiting for her was rattling, and just the price alone to pay for what was already a sacred thing made a chill run down her flesh. what would he ask for tonight? the question was something she tried to keep her mind off of, she didn't really want to know the answer anyways.

"I'll try to see what I can do for ya buddy, but no promises. I bet he already has something humiliating in store for me just so I can have some thinking space." the entire household could feel the impatience of their master rising, making even the mindless one's to quicken their pace. at least they still held some free will, enough so they worried about their health. standing alone in front of senmon's door, Yolie withdrew one last breath before knocking. she had to prepare herself, mentally and physically. it did her no good to get upset when he invaded her privacy and space, she knew it amused him in some sick sadistic way and be damned if she was going to let him get the best of her for the rest of her life. it just wasn't in her programming to fall into defeat that easily.

she tapped the wood lightly, placing her game face on when it glided open almost instantly. stepping forth, to the familiar silence, Yolie scanned the room to realize senmon was no where to be found. 'well what the hell?' Yolie rechecked the entire extremity, still unable to locate that egotistic a-hole anywhere. huffing a frustrated breath up to her bangs, she sat the contents on the usual table, pissed she had wasted all this preparation time to herself only to be greeted with nothing. "wait, what am I thinking! I should be grateful he's not here."

and grateful she was. the bubble's lifted up, sparkling in her bright eyes with the small giggles. spinning around to exit, Yolie crashed face first into a very hard, very large obstruction. she fell back on her butt, winded, massaging the sore area on her face, especially her nose, glaring up in shock at the thing she had twirled in to. towering over her, with head tilted curiously, stood senmon, claws planted on his hips in that mock amusement. "leaving so soon?" he stepped forward, only enough to close the door behind himself, then returned his attention to the winded girl on the floor.

extending a hand to her, senmon nearly resembled a chivalrous knight aiding his lady. hesitantly, Yolie took his offer, having the cold chains of his noiseless shackles tap lightly against her skin. he was smirking, she could feel it beneath that cloth, the thought alone made apart of her melt inside. did he even realize how charming he appeared at this very moment? ' wormmon is right, with a body like that, and a smile to go with it, lord only knows what he can do to me, and I wont even realize it to stop him.'

blushing wildly, Yolie had forgotten to release his hand, now only a matter of mere inches from his very strong body. he was warm, something she hadn't remembered he possessed. instantly turning away, realizing she allowed her thought's to drift when he most certainly had read them by now, Yolie became shamed into another deeper shade of red, embarrassed to no end at the stupid girlish fantasies that couldn't possibly be coming from HER thoughts. 'damn it, wormon, I'll get you for this... even if he was right.'

"right about what?" he had dipped into her mind, with out fail, seeing things he shouldn't have. senmon knew exactly what she meant, riling her even further because he felt it his job. she was just his entertainment after all, which infuriated the human even further. Yolie quickly wrenched her hand from his grip, placing her annoyed look on for that. "you said you wouldn't peek into my head if I... kissed you." lowering her head, and her voice towards the end, Yolie batted her lashes in a shy fashion, hoping he didn't wish to try to out do himself tonight. her heart wouldn't be able to handle it, nor would she stand still to fall for the same trick twice.

senmon sneered, she noticed by the slight squint in his eyes, praying inwardly he just ate and dismissed her for tonight. "your too tense Yolie, sit with me." he coyly sidestepped her, striding over to his table and pull her chair out in a gentlemanly way.( is that even a real word?) Yolie looked towards the closed doors, guessing them locked, so obediently did as instructed, keeping her hands neatly folded in her lap.

the dark angel forced the fire to dim, spreading the shadows until his guest squirmed in discomfort, unable to receive any clear views of the one she sat next too. only the munching of the food told her he had discarded his scarf, enjoying his dinner with her company. "so, I bet you had an eventful day." sarcasm rang thickly in his voice, but she held her tongue temporarily, biding her time. "is your stay enjoyable?"

"about as much as being in calculus class." the one thing she hated more than egotistic pricks such as him. they remained silent for a few moments, having Yolie finally turn towards the faint outline of senmon, "why do you wear that scarf?" he choked on what ever it was he ate, giving a dark crimson glare in her general direction. after getting the lump of food down, he scoffed at the question, picking his words carefully before indulging her curiosity, "guess."

Yolie tapped her foot nervously on the floor, scratching an itch as she thought franticly for an answer. "would you tell me even if I'm right?" he made an agreeable sound. "you...ummmmmm..." she turned towards his fireplace, searching for a clue of some sort. "you like screwing with people's heads? throw them off?"

he nodded, answering in a steely voice, " I can do that without my scarf. but your getting warmer." she sat back in her seat, "you have an over bite?" he gave a dark chuckle, "cold."

"it's magic and makes you invisible?"

"cold."

she remembered back to the night he had kissed her, and her hands fell onto a odd stretching line across his jaw, "you have... scars?" his eyes temporarily grew wide, forcing senmon to hold his breath before nodding. "yes." he slumped in his seat, using one hand to stroke THAT scar. his fingers caressed the old unforgotten wound, miserably sending the same memory to fall heavily in his chest.

"battle scars?" Yolie chimed, finding she was digging up something that put the squirm in her captor. "enough. I wear the scarf, with my secrets to be my own." he was very irritable about the topic, causing Yolie to drop the matter by his sternness. 'they cant be that bad.' she thought, having senmon sigh in her head, _'you have no idea.'_ Yolie whipped her head around to his face, angered he had done that telepathic thing again when she was right next to him.

dreading what ever it was he had in store for her, she still squared her shoulders, blurting out the thing that had been playing on her mind for the past nine hours, "so what is my price today?" senmon lifted his head, having put the scarf back over his face and lifted the flames to illuminate his study. smiling, he rose from his seat only to sit in the cushiest chair by the fire. spreading his long legs out to the warmth, he motioned for her to follow, nearly giddy at what was in store. it was enough to scare the holy ghost out of the girl though, having her gulp and stand before his undressing eyes.

this dark angel was a master at unnerving the innocent, burning holes through her clothes and into her very essence by the way he kept traveling them from her toes to her head repeatedly, like judging and condemning her mortal soul. settling down into the soft folds, he allowed his wings to dangle over the chair arms lazily, weaving his fingers together and resting them on his stomach. Yolie held her breath, sweating thickly, almost ready to catch herself if her legs gave out... which they threatened to do. carelessly, he spoke, nearly having his servant yelp from his smooth tone, "I want you to sing for me."

"eh, what?" Yolie blurted out, practically falling over from his request. "sing for me, my sweet little nightingale." he eyed her, waiting, ready for the sounds to lift from her body. Yolie straitened up, coughing into one hand, "I cant sing."

"of course you can, anyone can sing. and if you don't..." he rose an eyebrow, snickering at the memories of her friends he sifted through at this very moment. he made sure she felt the push of his mind invading hers, reminding this human that she should NEVER disagree or else penalties will be paid.

covering her ears, she shook his mind from hers best she could, trying to dislodge that intrusion and his lingering presence inside. "alright, I'll try..." "you'll do. and make it good."

ready to sniffle, Yolie cleared her throat, knowing it was his funeral. she couldn't carry a note if her life depended on it, so it was his torture for forcing her into this. let him stew it then. she sang the first thing that popped into mind, opening her mouth to sing a slightly off note song.

senmon allowed his ear wings to open up and take in the soft melody, fluttering at times she hit a sour note, but enjoying her attempt. it wasn't all that bad, Yolie just lacked faith in herself. why, he remembered a time she had no problem being self sure and out going, willing to do anything for a laugh with her friends seven years ago. 'with her friends...' he reminded himself. he wasn't a friend, and in her eyes, never would be. she was only happy when the one's she loved were around, and he had already ruined that when he forced her to stay with his ultimatum.

when she finished, he was lost in thought, hating himself for destroying the once spirited girl. he stared off into space, a blank expression smothering his face. vision's of his youth replayed in his head, of the days he should have cherished, of the people he should have loved, or at least said good-bye too. and even Yolie. her smile, the thing that was only in his fantasies now thanks to him. "senmon?" Yolie asked, standing awkwardly in front of him, wandering if that was enough to please his "royal highness" for tonight.

she waved a hand to catch his attention, then shrugged, ready to take her leave. "it was nice to hear you sing. why was it so sad?" he lifted his gaze up just when she turned to walk around his chair. "I sing what I feel."

his heart tugged sharply, causing the dark one to gulp a hard lump, "I... " he couldn't speak, drooping his ears as he forced his head the other way. he said nothing more, leaving the girl to wonder what it was he had once been ready to say. from the hurtful look on his face, it probably wasn't good. so with that, Yolie tried to pull towards the door, finding his wing lift to block her retreat as he swallowed what it was that kept him quiet. "don't go... not yet." gently, he pulled her back to him, the large ebony wings scooped her up, tickling her exposed flesh with its silky textures.

he rubbed her in a soothing manner, sweeping Yolie off her feet and into his lap. she had been quiet, startled, pushing away from him by mounting her palms against his hard, muscular chest, only to find his persistence over whelming. he just crushed her into himself, never loosening his hold, never allowing his prey to escape so easily. "unhand me. I sang for you so let me go." he hide the hurt, masterfully, twirling Yolie around so she sat in his lap and they both faced the fire. senmon wrapped both arms around Yolie's waist, hugging her tightly as he eased them both back into the seat.

he made a soft shushing sound, rubbing her arms with his fingers to calm her. "this is all I want. just stay with me a little while longer." he rested his chin on the top of her scalp, inhaling her seductive scent, closing his eyes to capture the moment. the dark one knew this would probably be the only time he ever got to hold his servant girl, or anyone so intimately. it was something to treasure, something that felt so right he would give the digital world up for another. THAT is how much he lavished in this emotion, regardless if his human feelings ruled. let them, for tonight. for Yolie.

a red tear worked its way down his cheek, having his chest shake to hold down the forlorn sobs. he never meant to cry, not when his Yolie was near, but the thought of her hate struck him so savagely, of losing her, of being alone, the liquid had all the opportunity to escape. he didn't want to feel empty anymore, not when she was here, the girl that had once loved the monster. Yolie's breathing became steady, her thoughts, even though he had promised to steer clear of until tomorrow night, held no resentment. she just relaxed, and tried not despise her captor too much.

he was, in fact, very kind to her. despite the humiliating things he had her do. and now, all he asked was her compliance. 'perhaps wormmon knows what he's talkin about. senmon ISN'T really that bad.' though he could've fooled allot of people due to his pissy attitude. ' maybe it's all just some cover up.' it wasn't uncommon, she did it when she was in the real world, always putting on a fake smile just to mislead others.

'maybe... he really just needs someone to...' Yolie bit her lip, afraid he was reading her mind. did she have enough bravery to finish that thought? feeling a warm droplet splash onto her head, Yolie concentrated hard to find a link with him. if he could read her thoughts, maybe she could somehow do the same to him. all's she came up with was a very dark void to engulf her, sending cold shivers to race through her system.

she attempted another try, having senmon nuzzle her hair, blanketing them both with his wings. "don't." he whispered, not really a threat, more of plea for her to stay far from his mind as possible. "you don't want to know me, my sweet." the only thing she felt now was his loneliness, forcing her lip to tremble at that discovered. another warm droplet fell on her body, ' he's crying. I didn't know senmon could cry. why...?'

"are you afraid I might find something good about you?"

"you wont. there's not any left. it's all dark, dark...dark..." the dark angel squeezed Yolie tighter to his breast, cuddling up to the only light he could depend on to save him. he was slowly slipping into sleep, a sure opportunity for Yolie to slip away unnoticed. she would have, had she not lifted a hand up to dab away the moisture on the top of her head. it was a large red spot, leaking its way onto her face. it was...'blood.' Yolie shock in his lap, trying to escape, to flee from the scene. all her struggle accomplished was senmon awaking just enough to take a firmer hold on her body, snarling under his breath at her eagerness to leave.

he would have reluctantly allowed her to depart, had she asked politely. but now... for every curse she muttered, for every attempt to break his hold, Yolie was going to sit with him longer. "I didn't say you could leave. sit still NOW!" she was locked against his chest, having the dark blanket of his feathers fully devour the both of them.

Yolie whimpered pathetically, shivering, wanting to seek out wormmon for protection. senmon felt her unease, it rocked his entire body when she trembled in such a way, had he been given an opportunity he would have calmed her mind with his. she was afraid. sighing deeply, he allowed his anger to slip away, nuzzling his face back into her lavender locks. "don't fear me, I want you to be comfortable." "I think I'm bleeding." Yolie choked out, rubbing the red spot from her hand. he stopped all his breathing, glancing down at the top of her scalp, then removed a hand to wipe away the stream from his cheeks. finally, he turned her around to face him, smiling warmly at the girl he couldn't help but love.

tilting her face to meet his eyes, he leaned very close, heating the air around them. "its not yours." the wings now covered them completely, having the girl to rest her head on his chest. even through the bandages Yolie could hear the faint drum of his heart. he wasn't completely heartless after all, she could testify to that. and it beat for her, hypnotizing her, placing a lulling spell on Yolie until her lids grew heavy and the world hazy. "sleep." senmon purred, planting a chaste kiss on the top of her forehead.

"stay with me... for as long as time flows. never leave me, promise to never leave me." she nodded drowsily, wrapping one arm around his chest in shear habit. it sent his heart to flutter, to skip. the happiness swept through his veins until all his muscles felt like a simmering pool of paddy in Yolie's lovely hands. and not even the growing darkness could latch onto his heart tonight because of that. whispering softly, senmon stroked her face with one finger, enchanted by the smooth peaceful expression she held. "I love you Yolie." she hadn't heard, to his dismay. and just like the girl in his arms, senmon finally fell into the most peaceful slumber he had ever had.


	7. Fine

vixon: thanks for reviews, and yes, senmon is sorta lovable…….. in his own special way. But sadly, I think this chapter will change a few tunes on that.

Greenbean1: the song is paint it black

Vixon:since you're the only one to ever get that right, you get the 50 people points I promised. go nuts with that victory, and if I could, I'd give you a trophy. You earned it.

**ch6 _"fine"_**

The blanket was warm, heavy, and wrapped gently around Yolie's form. She had never felt so safe in her entire life, so full of relief. Sighing out to the heat, she smiled brightly to the new day to come. She had the most remarkable dream; portraying her with the one she had given her heart to those many years ago. 'Ken...' he was so handsome, so charming, everything she remembered him to be when he wasn't in the digital world. Before he was the digimon emperor.

Unlike others who saw the boy genius, or the evil tyrant, Yolie always had the ability to see much deeper. He was kind. He was loving. He was so lonely that it broke her heart. Why else did he wear those emperor clothes? They hid what was underneath, scaring away any who might want to get close; the glasses shield the turmoil in his eyes. She had known this all along, but never did she take the initiative. And now, ken had died and she lived with the guilt for the remainder of her life.

In a way, it was her fault, and she suffered greatly for that mistake. Now, she could only see him in her dreams, and if they wern't full of his last nightmarish moments alive, they were happy and showed a life that could have been. Yolie sighed again, rubbing her cheek into the breathing pillow, nuzzling to find the source to the toasty warmth that held her. She scrunched her nose when something soft tickled it, nearly causing her to sneeze. Stretching like a jungle cat, Yolie had her lashes bat to take in her surroundings.

She yawned, finding it a fuzzy blur thanks to her piss poor vision. 'When did I take out my contacts? Oh crap, I hope I took them out.' she went to push her body up but found a strong arm pull her back down against the pillow. 'Not a pillow...' Yolie's eyes shot wide open, her sights clearing up to take in the creature clutching her tightly. Senmon sat in his chair, with HER nestled in his arms. Her heart rate quickened, sweat began to form on her face. 'I can't believe I slept here with him!' her mind inwardly shouted. The noise of it stirred him slightly, like she had screamed out loud.

Clamping a hand to her mouth, Yolie steadied her thoughts and breathing, trembling due to the closeness they held. 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.' she repeated in a whisper, unlocking his arm from around her waist. He had cradled her like a child in his lap, and she had allowed it. Now she defiantly made a vow never to do THIS again. No more touchy feely time with senmon, heaven only knows what he did to her while she slept.

'Better not have placed one claw on my sacred body that's for damn sure.' as she eased up off her captor, Yolie stopped when his wings ruffled from the cold void she left. senmon turned over, taking on the appearance of a helpless babe. A very big, mean tempered baby when he woke up. She blew a breath of relief, forgetting she had held it for so long. Stepping to the side, Yolie was ready to tip toe her way out the door, and pray he didn't wake up for a very long time. With the clouds outside hanging about like yesterday, she had no idea what time it was but bet it wasn't too late.

Yolie had managed to take only a few steps before his voice cut into the stillness, reaching out from the farthest regions of his dreams. She didn't even know he could dream. "Yolie..." he turned the other way, as if her absence forced the calmness away to rip into his black heart. Her back went stiff as a rod, thinking he had awoke. "y-yes?" she whispered, shaking inwardly.

Senmon never answered; just had his feathers stick out in course layers. One of his long legs kicked out, rather close to the dieing embers. Yolie came up beside him, resting one hand over her master's shoulder. "I'm here. Its okay, go back to sleep." she didn't realize how soft her voice fell to her dark angel, chasing away the shadows from his face. The scowl in his brow lifted, smoothing out the wrinkles with his breathing becoming steady once again.

Tilting her head, Yolie's hair spilled over her shoulders in a mess, but she didn't mind the dishevel she knew she was in. her smile was genuine, bright and, dare she even say it, loving for her captor. 'wormmon is wise beyond his years.' reminding her of Ken's digi-partner. But that was impossible. That wormmon was dead, along with his master, and this one was white. Yolie wondered if senmon even realized how lucky he is to have someone as loyal as wormmon. And just as the little insect had said, senmon was actually kinda, in his own way, nice. 'Not to mention very cuddly.' that was probably something she better not admit.

Her hand traveled up to his ear wings, stroking them until it lopped lazily to the side. Senmon was so tense, but then again, she had no idea what it was he did during the day. All's she knew was that he wanted the digital world and by the condition he looked sometimes, he worked very hard to obtain it. 'That isn't very good.' she had seen the village, and knew, if pushed, senmon was a very violent person. But it was so hard to see it now.

Yolie's fingers caressed his forehead, finding the skin grow warm for her touch. 'He's so handsome in some ways.' she moved some of his hair to receive a better glimpse of her master. 'The scars...' only faint one's traveled down to his unseen cheeks; one even ran down his brow to his eye and then some. It was slightly off colored than the others, darker, deeper, and kept right on going down his face.

Gnawing on her bottom lip, Yolie leaned in closely, tracing the old wound with one fingertip. 'How did you get this?' no answer from him. Her curious finger stopped on the scarlet fabric, making out little stitched patterns, something she had never noticed before. Yolie wanted to see his face, the rest of it that he hid away. Senmon was selfish to keep it a secret, on top of other things. Holding her breath, and positioning herself just right, the girl hooked her finger into the scarf, pulling down slowly to see him for the first time.

Slow, steady, keeping the cautious pace so not to awaken him. What could it hurt to look? He would never know, she would never tell. (She quickly forgets he can read minds) and just as the cloth began to reveal the finely curved nose, senmon caught her hand roughly. His grip grew firmer, iron like, surely close to breaking off her appendage from the wrist. Yolie gave a whimper, falling to her knee's from the over whelming jolts of agony racing up and down her arm.

"What are you doing!" he snarled between clenched fangs, pulling the fabric back to its previous place. She couldn't answer at first, tears filling her eyes at the harshness he inflicted on her body. "I just wanted to..." he roared at her excuses, standing so quickly the chair toppled over with a thud, yanking Yolie up to her feet."You have no right to see me!"

Yolie couldn't speak, her lungs collapsing from fear and pain. Shaking her head, he yanked forcefully again, causing another whimper to escape her mouth. "You'll pay for that. I'll make sure you do." senmon twisted his hand around, bringing Yolie to bite her tongue, and collapse from the growing grip. The tears streamed down her face, and he saw only his red fury.

His hand grew hot, an attack forming in his clutch as he held her, searing her flesh by his building rage. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to anger you." dangling her still form up to his face, his teeth bared at the woman, all his hair and feathers on end as he heaved a heated breath of distrust. Yolie gave a heart wrenching sob, hanging almost lifeless in his clenched hand, with her face drenched in tears.

Seeing the misery, recognizing the inflicted damage to one that never deserved such a fait caused the digimon to gasp, trembling from the deed he had committed. 'Yolie... ' Senmon's burning glare subsided, his deeply furrowed brows lifted into concern for her. 'What have I done to you?' he lowered her slowly, finding her legs buckle from the weight. His hold became gentle, releasing the girl once she was on the ground Yolie instantly collapsed into a hurting heap at his feet. Senmon bent to place a hand on her head, but she pushed away, finding just enough strength to run from him... like everyone else in senmon's life.

His heart shattered, his eyes filled with tears. Clenching one hand to his forehead, the dark one could do not but close his lids tightly, grinding down the guilt and grief threatening to escape. "I'm so sorry." he whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." but she was nowhere to hear this, and she would never believe him. How could one such as she ever forgive this when he himself couldn't? 'She hates me. She'll always hate me. I'm nothing but... 'The dark one gulped down a scratchy lump, feeling his light desert him again as he sobbed the last words, "nothing, but a... Monster."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yolie ran. She had never run so fast or so hard, flying down the corridors until she felt like her lungs would burst. She didn't even see the little digimon get tangled underneath her feet, toppling over one of the mindless slaves from her blind haste to escape. The cocomon stared curiously up at her, reclaiming the cleaning supplies that had been scattered, never saying a word. "I'm sorry." Yolie gasped, helping to gather the wash clothes and feather dusters while rubbing away her tears with the only good hand she still had. The other throbbed painfully, bruising an imprint of his fingers around her wrist like some dark shackle, turning into many shades of purple and blue if not scorched by the burns.

The cocomon tried to give a smile, its tattoo on its floppy ear was not as dark as most seen around here. "Don't worry," she began, balancing the supplies in her arms, "no harm done." Yolie's heart stopped, having her sit in shocked silence. "You... you can talk?" the cocomon nodded; worried for the reason this girl cried so. "Are you alright?" she looked up and down the hallways, and then turned back to Yolie, "I know you must be surprised to find someone almost normal around here. Oh I hope I didn't offend you in any way, I mean your normal too. Oh I can't believe I said that, I babble when I get nervous and you can stop me any minute cus I don't know when I do it but I think I'm doing it right now. So am I babbling? Please tell me, I don't mean too, I'm just nervous. Hehe, nervous like a balloon in a needle factory. I like balloons, do you like balloons? I think everyone like's balloons..." the two girls beamed brightly at one another, Yolie having to turn away before this digimon saw how distraught she really was.

"It's okay to be chatty, the only person I've had is wormmon and that one guy." "One guy?" the cocomon questioned, having to be a blond underneath all that brown fur. "Oh, right, that one guy. Master Senmon." the little bunny covered her mouth like she had just said a dirty word. "I shouldn't have said his name, he's sure to turn me into data now. Please don't tell him I said it Yolie. Pretty pretty please with sprinkles on top." at first, Yolie didn't know what to say, and how did this digimon know her name?

The cocomon pressed closer, with worried tears bulging forth to sparkle her eyes, her bottom lip thus began quivering. "I won't. I promise." Yolie gave her word, temporarily forgetting her wounds. "How did you know my name?" the human asked, now finding the little bunny to bounce around happily, "everyone knows about you. You're the master's squeeze." "WHAT!"

Cocomon drew back some, finding the girl close to pounding something after hearing that. "y-you know his servant. His girlfriend. His bed buddy." Yolie placed her hands over her ears, so not wanting to hear this right now. "Well, you did sleep with him last night, didn't you?" "No! no no no no. I accidentally fell asleep, but not in his bed. On his lap." that didn't sound any better, forcing a sweat droplet to form on the side of Yolie's head. Cocomon only beamed brighter, putting both her hands together in a happy prayer. "Oh thank you higher forces. She's gotten through to him." the bunny made a cross symbol on her chest, bubbling with joy,

"I haven't done anything. He's the one that keeps putting his grimy body parts on me." 'Why didn't I just stop while I was ahead?' again the digimon jumped up in glee, cheering for her new friend. "He like's you, he likes you. I and the others were so afraid he was beyond help, thank you for showing up. Now you can fall in love with him and make him nice." falling over, with legs in the air, Yolie wanted to smack this cocomon.

"I'm never gonna fall in love with that creep. Look what he did to my hand." she held the wound up, but cocomon just gave a slightly worried smile. "You should have wormmon see to your wrist. He works wonders with burns and stuff." cocomon gave another reassuring grin, practically kicking her heels up in the air. "He like' you, he like's you." she turned to dance down a hall Yolie had never been to before, singing merrily to herself of Yolie and senmon being a couple. "Goody-bye Yolie. Hope to see you when I'm done cleaning." Yolie could only groan, screaming back down the hall, "were not a couple and never will be!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wormmon bandaged up Yolie's hand, tut tutting her for her carelessness. "I would think you'd know better than try to do that. He's very sensitive about his face." "I'd say so, he nearly ripped my hand off." sitting back into her seat, Yolie hissed of the numbing pain, amazed that wormmon's had such medical talents. The insect lifted his head, as if listening to a voice only he could hear, having a concerned expression etched onto his face.

"Is he talking to you?" she inquired, dreading that she must take the breakfast up to him. How was she even going to carry it with a busted up hand? The pale digimon nodded, blowing a breath out as he squirmed over to the kitchen, Yolie wasn't far behind. When she went to pick up the tray, wormmon stopped her, trying his hardest to smile. "Allow me to take it today." "He'll kill you for it." Yolie teased, having a tad bit of truth in that statement.

The worm only shrugged, trying to balance the object on his backside with great difficulty. The food was probably being spilled every which way, going to have the little guy skinned alive when his master found out. "You need help. Let me just..." "No no, I've got it. You're hurt. and besides..." he stopped himself, trying to wiggle away faster but found Yolie keeping a good pace with him, though never seeing senmon would be too soon for her.

"What?" wormmon didn't answer, locking his lips closed. "Besides what?" Yolie pressed, taking hold of the tray in both hands, even if she did nearly scream from the pain. wormmon turned to her, shifting in position as he stared up. "He doesn't want you to bring it to him today." "Oh, is that it." Yolie growled, knowing she should be relieved. A tight yank in her heart strings sent a jolt of misery to pump in her chest, with the girl marching the rest of the way to senmon's room in utter anger. He wasn't gonna avoid HER if that's what he thought.

She banged fiercely on his door with her foot, wormmon racing after her from down the hall. A look of disgust and determination took hold of Yolie's features; stiffening her chin until she gave the wood another swift kick to catch that jerks attention. It creaked open, with an outraged Yolie barreling in, plopping the food on the table as wormmon came up beside her, winded from the run. Senmon was at the table, staring at her in confusion, head balanced in one hand. He had been startled, and maybe a little bored until she came stomping in on him.

"Your food, your "majesty"." Yolie made a half ass bow, wanting so bad to chuck the contents in his treacherous face. "Yeah, that's right, I gave you your food so eat It." she barked out to him, now finding her courage, and the anger, that had built up over the course of three days putting up with him.

Senmon didn't say a word; he just continued to stare at her, then at the heaving worm by her ankle. A strange look crossed his features, somewhere lying between hate for his worm and guilt for his lady, forcing him to abruptly turn away from the food. "wormmon, get her out of here." his voice cracked ever so slightly, never would he look up at the shocked expression spreading on Yolie's face. 'You dirty s.o.b.!' she didn't wait for wormmon to cough nervously in his hand like he always did when uncomfortable, spinning on her heels for the door. Before she exited, Yolie threw over her shoulder in an acidic tone, "that's right, you heard Me." knowing by the flinch he had given, he had read every foul thought she dished out to him.

Once the door slammed, senmon looked to the tray, no longer hungry. Placing his arms on the table, he rested his head in them, watching the way his wormmon stood there, fidgeting around with nothing to do. "How bad are her wounds?" the voice sent all the color to drain from the insect, wormmon choked, sputtering out in a shaking tone, "n-n-not bad. s-she will be w-w-well in a few days." senmon kept his eyes trained on the distant door, huffing a loud growl.

Half closing his eyes, he rubbed his temples, allowing for his wings to shuffle and stretch. A clear sign he was either feeling stiff, or was readying himself for a long flight. "I didn't mean to hurt her." "Maybe you s-should be telling Yolie t-that." the dark angel eyed his servant, standing without so much as a warning. "And maybe you should keep your mouth shut." the roar caused wormmon to back away, agreeing with his moody master.

But just as quickly as the rage burst forth, it had subsided back into the depths of the dark one's being. He went to the large window, opening it so he may soar. Placing one hand over his shoulder, senmon tilted his head downward; quietly speaking his mind to the only digimon he felt he could ever trust, "make sure she is happy today. Give her anything she ask's for... EXCEPT her freedom." just when he readied himself to take flight, he went to look at his servant, feeling the wind tease his feathers in its cool draft.

"Can she...?" senmon stopped, his expression sodden and somewhat pleading to his loyal wormmon. The little digimon listened, a little less afraid when seeing that crumble, recognizing it as the emotion it was. "Yes master?" wormmon wanted to hear this, to have hope that Ken still had a heart to feel, a conscious, other than his hen pecking partner, to nag at himself. Shaking his head, senmon dismissed the thought, throwing him over the edge.

The digimon's shoulders sagged. He was so certain senmon would confess. Perhaps this was pointless, perhaps Ken really didn't exist anymore. Or perhaps he was merely forgotten. 'He runs from anything he can't control. I never thought as him to be a coward.' just as soon as the thought had slipped unnoticed, his master came back, not at all pleased at the thing he had just read in wormmon's mind.

"So you think I'm a coward!" he snarled, feathers on end. "Eh...well... you did take off, and I didn't mean to say it like that." senmon's fury only heightened, taking on a very dangerous stance while summoning a large fireball with wormmon's name on it. Wormmon jumped up to open the door, finding he was just a little too short and his time was running out. Many sweat droplets fell down his neck, his pupils became dilated in fear. "Master, think before you kill me." he jumped again, unable to twist the knob. "This isn't going to help you any with Yolie."

The attack decimated the doors, charcoaling the digimon still clinging to the knob. "ow." wormmon breathed a smoke cloud, amazed he was still alive. Apparently, senmon hadn't put as much force into that attack to kill him, just warning the insect of his mortality. Stomping over to the little servant, senmon swiftly snatched the digimon into an iron grip, bringing them both eye to eye. "How do I get her to forgive me! How can she possible forgive what I've done to her! Look at the life I've given her, at what she has to look forward too every day of her existence! All's she'll feel for me is repulsion!"

Both their hearts pounded, senmon calming his pint up aggression, allowing for his fingers to loosen until the little servant slipped down to the floor. "She can never feel anything for me but disgust." wormmon rubbed his bottom, dusting off the soot, then went to pull his master to the toppled over chair. "That's not true master, you've been good thus far. Except for this morning." he tried to lift the cushy seat off the ground, but then again, he was pretty small. It took senmon to place it back on its feet.

The servant sat his master down, then scurried and brought back the tray of food, setting it on his lap. "Yolie will forgive you; it's not like her to hold a grudge for too long." "Do you think so?" wormmon nodded in surety. "Just apologize and it'll make it a lot easier." senmon feh the idea, but tossed it over in his head anyways. "And I do mean in person master. It will count as more if you do it that way."

Solemnly, senmon scrunched his shoulders, losing that mighty digimon appearance rapidly and taking on the young youth look that he was more and more. Well, an adult with wings. _'I'm... afraid too.' _he admitted telepathically, just incase the walls possessed ears. "What's there to be afraid of?" his partner whispered, balancing close to his ear. Rolling his shoulders, senmon hugged himself, still not touching his meal. "She'll... What if she doesn't forgive me? What do I do than?" he almost appeared pleading to his friend, tightening up in a knot.

"Well..." wormmon scratched the back of his head, "I could try to convince her, and the others can try too. But YOU have to try and do it yourself." senmon bowed his head, in the deepest of thoughts. 'How is it I can conquer an entire world, and yet I can't even communicate with that woman?' "Why should I bother? I have nothing to offer her even if she does except." feeling the heated wave of fury resurfacing, the dark angel thrusted the tray of food into the fireplace, snarling under his breath towards the truth.

The outburst caught wormmon off guard, but he quickly collected himself, finding he was actually giving his master advice and senmon was actually considering it. "You can't just give up. You have plenty to offer her." standing, senmon leaned against the hearth, wanting to get away from wormmon's smothering presence. "Look at me wormmon. She'll never be happy with this." "I am looking at you, but I only see what you try to cover up."

Heaving a sigh, the angel flexed his claws, remembering the damage they could inflict, especially on innocent people like Yolie. "Is this what you think she want's? I'm not... human." it choked him up, the fact he couldn't be what she wanted, "I don't even know what I am anymore." he was neither human nor digimon but a creature all his own. "You try to hard to see the bad, when all she saw in you was the good. You may not remember, but she protected you up until the very end." senmon traced the scar again, the one he hated so much.

Yes, he remembered that too. "She was going to jump for you, I think you owe it to her to try and make a jump yourself." senmon strolled to the window again, hands behind his back as he thought on that piece of information. The angel's form was nearly invisible by the cloudy background he gazed across, having the sweet scent of rain flow into senmon's wild hair. Just when wormmon thought all this they had discussed fell once again to nothing, the master spoke, eyes transfixed on his goal. "fine." he jumped out of the window, riding the winds current in ease. _'And this time, I wont be back until dusk.'_ he informed the awaiting servant, having a smile grace poor wormmon's lips. "Teenagers and their issues." the little digimon mumbled happily to himself, shaking his head in an understanding manner. He faintly had a feeling that senmon was chuckling at that remark, but it could always be his imagination. God how he hoped senmon hadn't been offended by that statement.


	8. Discoveries

**ch7 _"discoveries"_**

The day went in it's usual pace, never did the sun break through the clouds, and Yolie found that many of the "mindless" servants weren't necessarily mindless in any way. Most just pretended just to avoid some unwanted wrath, others were just very enthralled in chores and other things instead of dawdling around to chat. Cocomon sat down to play monopoly with Yolie and wormmon, and for a beginner, cocomon was pretty good with money.

"You go to jail wormy." Cocomon cued as wormmon scrabbled through his deck to find a get-out-of-jail cards. "But I'm a law abiding citizen... and I won the beauty contest. How am I going to jail? Under what charges? This game cheats like crazy." Wormmon grumbled, rolling to park avenue. "Wormy," Yolie used the nickname dubbed to him, even if he hated it, "it's all the luck of the dice. you cant cheat dice. Unless you weighted them."

Rolling his eyes, he paid Yolie five hundred dollars for landing in her town. "I can always give you a loan wormy." Cocomon suggested, finding her new buddy running low on cash. The digimon refused until close to admitting bankruptcy. "Are you still mad at senmon?" Wormmon asked out of the clear blue, blowing into the dice for good luck like Yolie did. gulping, the girl stuck her nose in the air, counting her money to distract herself from the question like she hadn't heard.

He pushed the matter until she answered though, being quite persistent. "A little. He broke my playing hand." She flexed her fingers, finding the pain only when someone touched it. "Well, all couple's fight every now and then. Right wormy?" Cocomon flipped her ears like most human girls did their hair, giving wormmon a rather dreamy look. The bug just choked, scooting a little closer to Yolie for protection. "I g-guess." "We're not a couple. How many times do I have to say it?"

"You cant fight cupids arrow when it strikes." Cocomon's eyes went all sparkly, "it is written in the stars." Wormmon only shook his head, finally getting some luck in the game. "He does feel very guilty about this morning." Wormmon continued, taking at least twenty bucks off of cocomon. "I don't care. I don't think I did anything wrong so he didn't have to bust me up like that. It's called abuse, and I think I want to press charges." Cocomon rolled and got her twenty back.

"Will you at least serve him his dinner tonight? He might apologize." The little insect glanced up to her slyly, then returned to the game, losing all he owned by Yolie's purchase of the railway station. A very foreign word fell out of the worms mouth, something Yolie didn't want translated by the way it sounded. Cocomon gasped, "Wormmon, for shame to use such language around us ladies." The insect scrunched up from the scolding, whispering a sorry from in-between cocomon's lecturing. "I don't know what you said, but you said It."

Yolie gave her neck a twist, trying to banish the cramps in the stiffness. She blew a sigh, muttering sourly under her breath of the boredom she was in. 'Maybe I should go and help someone clean, It beats sitting here whopping wormmon in monopoly.' "I wish you guys had some video games, I could go for a round of monster truck mela right about now." There was absolutely nothing to do, and an adventure outside didn't look very thrilling with the muck still lingering about. Cocomon grinned at that said, floating in the air with the aid of her large ears. "I know how you can play. I know how you can play." "Oh really?" The little brown digimon nodded, pointing to the upper levels.

"That big computer up there. I'm sure It can get any game you want." After revealing such scandalous advice, wormmon went nearly transparent, large sheets of sweat plummeting down his body. "Y-you cant use that, it's the masters." The girls only pishawed him, already sweeping past the panic ridden digimon to head for the stair case. "No! No, you absolutely, positively cant use it!" The persistent insect bellowed, spreading all six of his arms to halt there advancement.

Yolie tilted her head in an innocent fashion, throwing a puppy dog pout in just to be a bonus to her cute look. "Oh, come on squirmy wormy pooh, let us play it just for a little while." Wormmon refused, still holding his ground in front of them. The girls closed in on him though, wrapping the determined larvae up in the gushy cushy hugs. "Pretty please wormmon." They pleaded, making their prey wiggle uncomfortably in their hold. "No! No. No. No. N-yes. Yes. Fine." He managed to escape the onslaught of touchy feely girls. (What a lucky digimon)

After reclaiming what dignity he still held his own, he finished, "But only for a little while. The master will turn us all into data if he finds out. It's the only place no one is really allowed, strictly off limits to all except himself." The girls nodded in agreement, deciding only fifty rounds would do it and they'd be gone.

'I suppose we cant really get in trouble for this, he did tell me to give her what ever she wants. So I might as well let her play some game.' And just like that, they broke into the control room with Yolie trying to figure a way to get online. Scratching her head, she held up the odd cords, rotating them in her grasp curiously. "How the heck does he use these?"

Wormmon fidgeted, taking the instruments out of her hands, "They go into his skin, and he controls the network that way. So unless you really want to play that video game, by all means go for it." The girls both cringed, shaking in protest. "There has to be another way, like with a key board or controllers." She scrumaged around, finding nothing to help. The wires seemed the only way and she wasn't about to jab those into her body any time soon. 'I can only imagine the diseases transferred with it.'

"We've dawdled long enough, we should get out of here. Senmon said he'd be home at dusk and I think it's close to that time." "How do you know?" Cocomon quizzed, hands on her hips along with a small pout firmly framing her face. the little worm just pointed to the computer, "The clock told me." Yolie looked up at the huge screen, noticing that it was 8:23, the time when she would check her e-mails for the day and challenge Cody for what ever crazy tournament they happened to find. how she missed those days.

Slumping her shoulders, Yolie wished that she could get the blasted thing to work, wanting to assure her friends she wasn't in any real danger just yet. 'If you over look my hand changing color.' She breathed a defeated sigh, tapping a finger on her chin in thought. 'I wonder if anyone's even noticed I'm gone. My family defiantly, but the others... of course. They worry just like a flock of over protective mothers.'

She went up to the large wall screen, gazing at the background design senmon had chosen. it was of some weird game from 7 years ago. Donkey Bongo... Donkey something, Yolie couldn't remember. All's she knew was the game was insanely difficult, even for a gamer like her. Only one person knew how to beat it, and it was the one that made the entire thing. 'Ken!' How the hell does senmon have this! Did he ever play the game? Did he steal it from that geniuses prodigy somehow? 'Knowing Mr. Dark and Gloomy, he was probably a die hard fan of the thing. like those cosplay mini-con maniacs.'

She gave a minuet laugh at the thought, never even hearing the sharp worry in wormmon's voice. "Hey wormmon? You think you guys have some old computer parts I can borrow?" She didn't turn to look at the one she addressed, still studying the files. Wormmon shifted in position, thinking back to himself. "Yeah, I think there's some in the storage rooms. Maybe in the attics. I don't know, it's been so long, you can probably find Atlantis in those rooms if you looked hard enough."

'Perfect. All's I need to do is find a keyboard and then it's hello world wide web.' Yolie rubbed her hands together sinisterly, spinning on her heels, following wormmon to her prize. "So lets get started."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The tropical island lay in the middle of the large ocean, a lush green speck in the sparkling blue gem. Senmon swept down noiselessly to the white beach, taking the warm feel of the sand in with his feet, planting both hands on his hips as he scanned the area carefully. His eyes watched patiently, his mind raced to the one thought wave he searched for. _'Hawkmon, where are you?' _The dark angel felt out of sorts in this sunny surrounding, causing his completion to fluxuate due to the intense rays beating down on his exposed flesh. He was defiantly going to get a sun burn.

Standing in silence, the dark one listened for a response, for the foot falls of an approach. Slowly, but surely, the familiar figure of the little brown bird stepped nervously forth from his hiding spot, having a faint nauseas feeling that senmon already knew exactly where he was. "I-I'm here." Hawkmon squeaked, head low subordinately. Senmon stepped into the shadows of a palm tree, folding his wings behind himself as he watched the much smaller digimon make his presence known.

"Why have you returned? Am I going to die now? Has something happened to Yolie!" The bird was terrified, yet still strongly loyal to his friend, bringing his eyes to meet the crimson orbs of his prison keeper. Shaking his head, senmon motioned for his servant to come closer, starring the other down fiercely. "Why would I harm her, I'm not heartless you know." "Y-yes of course." Glancing at his clipped wings, hawkmon found that very hard to digest. The moment senmon had pulled him from the prison cell three days ago the first thing he did was make sure he was unable to fly to freedom, placing him on the deserted island out in the middle of nowhere. A perfect prison for the little bird digimon, with no promise of ever seeing his friend again. Senmon had selfishly snatched away hawkmon's friend, freedoms, and anything that meant the world to him.

Senmon tilted his head at the quiet other, smirking solemnly to himself. He had lied and felt dirty for doing so. Yolie was not fine, she was in pain thanks to this tyrant, and now it seemed nothing would ever change that. He had just come to discuss matters regarding the human, picking information from the only one that knew her the best. "Tell me about Yolie. I want to know more about this girl, personality wise." "Why?"

The question received nothing less than a distasteful growl. "You don't want to piss me off today with your pointless questions. I am the one that will ask and YOU will tell me what I want to know. Got it?" Hawkmon nodded respectfully, awaiting for senmon to begin this strange interrogation. After breathing out a calming breath, the dark one sat in the sand, elbows on knee's and head in hands, "How would I, if I needed too, apologize to one like her?" The birds eyes grew wide in shock, but he gulped down, answering, "You didn't do something stupid, did you?"

"N-no. Well... yes. I don't want her to hold anything against me anymore."

"What did you do?"

"Did I not make it perfectly clear that I was the one to ask the questions?" Senmon hissed, growing darker in appearance due to this. Rubbing the back of his head, hawkmon tried to place a fake smile on, but it didn't come out quite right. "Well, just try to be understanding with her, and compassionate. You may not know, but she's very sensitive on the inside so try to sound very sincere when you DO go to say, "I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" After that, it's all up to her. She may forgive you right then and there, depending on what ever you did. Or she may ignore you until she cool's down. By the way, what did you do?"

"None of your business." Senmon turned to stare at nothing unparticular, rolling his eyes when ever hawkmon searched him for an answer. Chocking slightly, senmon finally opened his dry mouth to respond, very quietly against the sigh of the lapping waves on the shore, "I... might have broke her wrist." He choked many times in the sentence, having his voice crack every so often. Dropping his jaw, hawkmon gave a very hateful glare towards this despicable digimon.

It didn't take senmon long before he turned back to his companion, reading every snarling thought this bird threw at him in endless assaults. "I didn't mean too. She was being nosy, and I was half awake, and she shouldn't have been trying to prib into my secrets." "I can't believe you would harm someone as innocent as Yolie. You promised you wouldn't hurt her! knowing her, she was just trying to help you."

"I never promised such thing! don't give me that, I can do what ever I want." Hawkmon scowled at this loathsome creature, turning his beak into the air in the presence of this digimon. "You, sir, don't know what you want. I expected even a brute like you to take good care of my friend, but I guess that's impossible due to your temper." Senmon stood, pulse mark growing on the side of his skull. Raising a fist to his face, senmon tried to intimidate his opponent, but hawkmon stood unfazed, lids closed and arms crossed.

"I don't have a temper!" Senmon roared, shaking all over with rage. "Stop patronizing me feather ball, I don't have to take this from a worthless mon like you!" The bird only smirked, putting both hands behind his head in triumph. "What are you going to do? Threatening seems to be your only tactic, and when it fails you have no alternative but to destroy. So what are you going to do when you cant kill me?" Lifting one lid, the bird watched the way senmon saw nothing but red. he had promised. damn that promise! 'Why did I have to promise his safety!'

"I may not be able to hurt you OR her, but I can always inflict some kind of new torture on someone else you care for, like the other imprisoned digi-destines partners. So wipe that smile off, unless you want a guilty conscience." Hawkmon only scowled, kicking some sand away from his feet. "Still using the same tactic. I wont always be on this island, and my friends wont always be your hostages, so when I get free, Yolie will make me digivolve, and we're going to stomp you into the dirt." That only caused senmon to give a very nasty chuckle, reaching into a pocket just to dangle hawkmon's hope in front of his face. "You mean with this?"

Yolie's digivice was held in his clutch, swaying like a pendulum. the digimon gasped, sheets of sweat poured down his tiny neck. Senmon had his fangs gleaming from behind the fabric, ready to bust into a malicious fit of laughter from that shattered expression alone. "I hate to tell you this hawkmon, but I'm not guidable or stupid. I know exactly what these things are, and I cant have you two ruining my fun. She doesn't even know I have it, and she'll never know what happened to you. Your just a memory, with this lovely island to call your own." Hawkmon looked like he was bound to burst into tears, knowing he was doomed to remain on this pathetic prison island for the remainder of his life.

Sniffling slightly, the bird looked up to his tormentor, "Please promise you wont hurt her anymore. She doesn't deserve it, if she make's you mad just come and take it out on me. I don't mind." "Why? I might like to teach her a few things, like how to keep her mouth shut for one." The threat held no promise in it, but it still sent the chills down hawmon's spin. Dropping his head, the brown digimon gulped roughly on his grief, "She's been through too much already, I know it's killing her to stay here in the digital world with all these bad memories of what happened. I don't know if she told you, but she lost someone very special to her, she doesn't need you to make it any harder."

Senmon feh the reminder, folding his arms over his chest as he turned away in disgust. "Sounds like she needs to get over it. You act like she's the only one to ever lose someone, when there's thousands of people that suffer from some loss." "But you don't have to add to it. Don't hurt her anymore, promise me you wont." There was silence, none speaking, only the hopeful eyes of hawkmon and the stoic form of the dark angel of death.

Biting his inner cheek, senmon unfolded his enormous ebony wings, blotting out the burning sun, "I've already promised myself I wont." Clasping a hand to his heart, the bird digimon blew a relieved sigh, counting his lucky stars for such a bend from this monster. "Thank you." "I don't do it for you!" Senmon snapped, trying to keep himself collected; failing miserably. After the tension subsided in the greater mon's body, hawkmon took another step closer, trying to regain the ground he had lost from that quick flicker of anger. Or perhaps that out burst was merely a nervous cover up for senmon.

"Than take good care of my friend, since your doing it for her." Gulping, the angel nodded slowly, wanting to smile for all of hawkmon's helpful advice. "Treat her right, you'll never meet another girl like Yolie." Waving his fare wells, hawkmon couldn't help but feel a sudden since of relief. Senmon cared for her. He truly cared for Yolie, raising a hopeful air into the digital world. Maybe this could work out for the better, and Yolie was as safe as anywhere when she was with someone so powerful. Or she was trapped in the worst kind of danger imaginable, hawkmon couldn't decide. The inhabitants of this world could only pray for a happy ending to finally find them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When wormmon said the place was full of junk, he wasn't kidding. Mountains of useless stuff piled to the ceilings, spanning to every inch of the rooms. "Good luck finding what ever it is your looking for." The two digimon breathed, holding the same slack jaw expression as their human friend. Yolie only snorted, ringing up her sleeves, setting out to find the instrument. If she was lucky enough to locate it, she would be even luckier to manage to hot wire the thing into senmon's computer and get it running. 'And I'll probably need a mouse too. grrrrr. Stupid side accessories.'

It felt like hours were spent searching for the blasted things, but the determination was all she needed, even after her two buddies had fallen onto each other to rest. "I don't know where she gets all that energy." Wormmon heaved, out of breath and completely exhausted. Cocomon nodded in agreement, turning towards her friend, "Do you think we'll get in trouble for this?" "Nah, I had orders to let Yolie do what ever she wanted today, so let her wear herself out."

"Really? Senmon said that?"

"Yep. But I'm still worried about those two patching things up. They're both stubborn, and he has too much pride to take good advice." The insect gave a solemn sound, twiddling his hands. "Than we have to do something." Cocomon barked, twirling around to grasp wormmon by the antennae's. "We have to fix them together. You, me, and everyone else that wants to see a happy ending."

"But senmon can read our minds. How the heck to you propose we sneak behind his back and hook those two up?"

The brown bunny waved a finger, the look of shear womanly trickiness etched onto her face.

"We simply pretend innocent. If he dips into the ole noggin, we think of rice pudding. He cant read what we don't think, unless he really wants to know what's going on, but maybe he wont push too far if it all works out, and what do we have to lose?" Wormmon gave her a peevish sort of look, squinting his eyes ever so slightly, "Um, how about our lives?"

Cocomon just waved a dismissing hand, "Oh, with that attitude we're never gonna get them as a couple. Come on, we have to do something so you cant serve dinner tonight." "What do you mean do something? It's not going to hurt is it?" Cocomon just took him up by the tail, dragging the poor sniveling digimon quickly behind herself. "Of course it wont hurt...well, me anyways."

They left Yolie without a word, whispering secrets into the ears of all as they went on their way. Yolie on the other hand, hadn't even noticed she was all by her lonesome, pushing mound after piling mound away to find a keyboard and mouse. Grumbling under her breath, the only thing she knew she had found was a need for a tetanus shot after all this was over with.

She sat on her haunches, scanning the short progress she had made. Balancing her head in one hand, Yolie thus thought of all the other rooms piled high with crap. 'Man, this guy is one serious pack rat. He could at least organize things.' Rising slowly on wobbly legs, the girl made her way to another set of doors. Perhaps it would be more promising than this mess. Once she entered, Yolie was immediately relieved to find the accumulating junk set against the walls, less scattered around and way smaller in comparison to the last room.

A large spot was clear for her to walk around in the middle, observing the stacks for any indication of the items she searched for. Instead, she only found more armor, weapons, furniture, chest's of treasure (Which she was going to go through later) and portraits all around slashed or burned from their frames. 'Senmon must really hate art.' Yolie bent down to look the pictures over, finding it impossible to distinguish what it once was, only knowing that they must have been very beautiful at one time.

And then, in the avalanche of paintings, sat a very small picture lying on top of the others with a protective purple silk cloth wrapped around it. Nimbly taking it up, Yolie peeled away the fabric, knowing her curiosity was extremely dangerous when it came to this castle. She tugged the last piece off, flipping the frame around to gaze at the faces. It appeared to be a family photo, and very old by the looks of it. But the thing that startled her the most, the thing that shook all the color from Yolie's being was the person IN the photo.

Her eyes grew wide, her heart picked up speed rapidly, banging against her chest cavity. "It cant be..." The hand holding it began to tremble, and still she couldn't remove her eyes from that bright face. "Ken." This was indeed a very old picture, with her crush practically in diapers in the snap shot. He was in the arms of his mother, smiling with all the happiness a child knew. Beside him was his father and brother. this was his family. She had seen them many times on the news, praising the child prodigy all across Japan, but she never knew he had an older brother. If in deed that was his brother. It could have been another blood relative, but the resemblance between them seemed almost uncanny.

Blush crept up her cheeks, a loving smile lifted onto her lips at the blissfulness the small boy held, even if it was only for this one picture. 'What was it that changed you than?'

Her mind went blank, not even the dark shadow loaming over her caught Yolie's attention. _' What are you looking at?'_ Came the familiar voice inside her head. Yolie quickly hid the item under her shirt, turning to face senmon hovering curiously over her shoulder. She backed away in a gasp, falling strait into the pile of photo's. They came crashing down around her, with the humans' arms and legs flaying helplessly every which way to regain some control over the situation. When she finally managed to find solid ground, Yolie pop her head out, the red flushed uncontrollably around her face, making it worse when senmon wouldn't stop pointing and laughing at her.

"Don't sneak up on me like that, I could've had a heart attack." "Or peed your pants. Which ever, I'd still point and laugh." Growling under her breath, Yolie felt a big fat ball bounce on the top of her head, falling to the dark angel's feet. 'No no. Don't help, I've got it.' She grumbled in her mind, crawling out of the mess to straiten out the kimono, still trying to collect what pride she still had, scraping it up in a sad little puddle. This was so pathetic, her pride the size that could fit inside a doggy bag.

A curse fell from Yolie's lips, her immediately clasping the still sour hand and holding it very still, biting her tongue to hold down any more profanity. Senmon turned his head the other way, guilty, not knowing what else to do. He didn't want to bother Yolie, especially not when the cause for her injury was the being standing right before her. He thus began smashing an imaginary fist into his inner self's face. His eyes darted back and forth to her, but senmon remained silent, folding his wings tighter around himself for protection against ill thoughts. It was all the dark one could do to keep from falling completely apart in front of Yolie, she was making his heart squeeze, his palms sweaty, and a cold stone of shame kept sloshing around in his gut.

"So what are you doing in here my sweet?" Senmon finally unglued his swollen tongue from the roof of his mouth, whispering each word in a sweet mesmerizing manner. Yolie only shook her head from side to side, having to sit down due to the little jolts of pain still shattering within her skin. If she didn't seat herself she was sure to faint from the agony. "I was... oh man this hurts. Looking for... er..." The first thing she noticed was the ball by his feet, forcing her to reach for the item in a quick gesture.

She didn't manage to get it before senmon though, he kicked up his foot, having the soccer ball fly into the air to snatch. "Looking for this?" He twirled it on one finger, making the girl watch in shear unspoken wonder. "Uh, yeah. How did you do that?" "I'm the best soccer player in the world." He smirked, bending down to meet Yolie's gaze. That declaration only prompted her to snort into the air, crossing her arms at the ego trip this guy was defiantly flying first class on. "I doubt It. There was only one person that was the best, but he never even got a chance to prove It." "Yeah, me."

Pointing a finger into his face, the girl growled in defense for the one she referred too. " HA! Fat chance. As a matter of fact, the guy I'm talking about could run circle's around you." Senmon didn't find that possible, squeezing the ball tightly in both hands, whispering a grumble almost too soft for Yolie to hear, "Like Davis ever had anything on me." "What? I didn't say It was Davis." Her brows furrowed in suspicion while his lightened up in astonishment. "How do you know about Davis?"

The question left the angel to swallow hard, he leaned away just as she went to ask again. "I-I can read your mind. I know your memories from when we first met. That was one that I picked up." 'Smooth move.' He had to pat himself on the back for that save. And surprisingly, she bought It. "Then you know who I'm talking about than."

He shook his head, watching the sadness settle in, sweeping large shadows across her lovely face. "His name was Ken. I used to sit and watch every game he played, though I was too shy to go over and talk to him. He was like a celebrity, always had people around, with hundreds of fan girls chasing after him. So I didn't really stand a chance when he could have any girl he wanted." The admittance forced a gentle pink blush to fill her cheeks, causing Yolie to quickly conceal the warm glow. "Not once did his team ever lose when he played." She tried to switch the subject back to soccer when she had swayed completely off course. It was the obvious secret Yolie held, wanting to bury the truth that she stood next to nothing when Ken was around.

The memory routinely brought a small trace of joy to remember his face. She would always swoon over the thought. It was enough Yolie felt so pathetic, still hung up over some guy. A dead-as-a-door-nail guy. Yet still, even the fondness and love she gushed with back then wasn't enough to relieve all of the sorrow. "You liked him? this boy?" Senmon had startled her out of that loop she continually fell in, snapping Yolie back to the real world...er... digital world. "Oh, yeah, I kinda had a crush on him all up through grade school." 'Crush? You call writing practice love letters to him on your D-tector a crush?' Senmon had to hold down a smile at the knowledge he possessed, still playing the game of ignorance with her.

"How much did you like him?" The question sent a deeper shade of blush to blossom, forcing Yolie to hold another hand up to her glowing face, "I...uh... boy it's hot in here." She fanned at her scorching body, trying to knock the subject in another direction. "Would you say, you loved him?" Was it really that obvious? Was senmon reading her thoughts at this very moment? "Like I'm going to tell you. It's none of your bees wax about my school girl obsessions." She puffed out like a toad, taking on the defensive that only prompted senmon to chuckle darkly, pushing into her thoughts as he pleased.

"Hey! you said you wouldn't do that!" "I'm curious." Yolie swatted at that self-absorbed creature, with her bad hand, only having it throb when giving her master a light tap on the head. "Ow. Ow ow ow." She cradled the wound, gnawing feverishly on her lip. "Than I take it as a yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes that you loved him."

"Senmon, stop asking me about personal things. How would you like it if I just probed into YOUR life?" He only sneered, leaning into her with a mocking essence hanging off of his invasion. "You did last night, asking me about these," Pointing to the unseen scars, he thus continued, "And trying to peek at what I hide. You are one to talk about privacy." It forced a guilty tug to settle on Yolie's form, she quickly downcast her head in a small trace of shame.

When the silence became unbearable, that's when the conversation carried on, with Yolie admitting to someone she hardly knew the deepest darkest emotions that ruled her life every day, "It doesn't matter if I loved him or not, he's dead. I seriously doubt he'll ever know now, so thank you so much for bringing it up. Don't you think I feel guilty enough about it!" Snapping her teeth over the quivering lip, Yolie stood without a moments hesitation, stomping away from the still kneeling dark angel.

"I-I didn't mean to bring up something like that." He had almost forgotten that the person she had loved was now considered deceased. 'I honestly didn't know you still cared, or that you cared about me that much.' Why didn't he realize these things back then, back when he could have enjoyed it? The things he could have done with her, normal things, happy things. Things that might have changed his life forever. Is this why she felt so ashamed of herself? Did she think the same way about what could have been? Spinning to face her prison keeper, Yolie had thick blops of tears ready to spill over onto her flushed face.

"You did so mean to do this, you just didn't care or you wouldn't have kept pressing me about it! you read my memories as you please, with or without the price I have to pay every night, so you KNEW how I felt. And you still... you still... you twisted prick!" She retreated from the on looking monster, leaving behind only the tainted echo to tarnish his splitting heart. He didn't know. Or did he? His hate had kept everyone out all those years ago, even someone as amazing as Yolie. This wasn't her cross to bear, it was never her fault for the way senmon turned out. The fault did, and would always, lie on him, no doubt about it. If only she knew this, knew who he really was inside.

Would she still love him, that one lost piece, seeing the humanity deep down hiding in the darkness? Did there even exist a small trace of her loved one, or would there always be a monster to sneer in her eyes? Senmon wanted to tell her, explain to Yolie everything, past, present and all in-between. He even lurched forward to grasp the empty air, wanting to hold Yolie and whisper his faults, his hidden truths. but... ' She would only run from me. Leave me to dwell in the nothingness, to never look back. alone... I'd be all... alone.' Senmon stood slowly once she was well out of sight, tasting bitter defeated yet again. He had come in person to apologize, like they all had advised him to do, only to give her one more reason on her list to despise him. To receive another slap in the face.

The black feathers bristled, the energy in the room sizzled around senmon's flesh. Squeezing the soccer ball in both hands, he chucked the object across the room with all the power he could summon, only to have it crash into the mountain of useless oddities and explode through one of the walls. A large crash, and a spending hole, was all he left to testify his fury for the moment. He was destined to fail, and never would he find peace until she forgave him. It was another vow, another promise for senmon to make to himself. Failure was NOT in his vocabulary, and it never would be!


	9. Little photo, big secret

**ch8 "_little photo, big secret"_**

Yolie stomped down the hall, mumbling numerous foul things under her breath at that creatures constant intrusions. He had no honor what so ever, breaking his promises and resurfacing all the things that refused to disappear from her memories. 'I just want to forget it all, let it slip away forever!' Planting both hands on the side's of her head, Yolie felt like screaming out her sorrow. Nearly collapsing to the ground, it seemed like the earth shifted from beneath her feet, breaking her concentration until her knee's buckled and fell.

The tears washed down her face, forcing Yolie to fall back on the only thing supporting her now. It was warm, sturdy, and had a hold of her from the waist. Turning to gaze up, the girls mouth parted for another insult for the digimon that had caught her. Senmon tilted his head curiously, sweeping his servant girl up in his arms, trying her patience every step of the way. "Escort service." "Let go. I don't want anything to do with you right now." Yolie thrashed with the dwindling fight she still held, but his hands were just to magical, holding the fury down inside until it had fallen to nothing. Tears still tumbled, giving the girl the impression he thought her a senseless idiot.

"I don't think of you like that, my sweet. You should know better." He pressed Yolie closer to himself, beaming at the fragile appearance that bomb shell held. If only others knew what a handful she could be when she wanted too. Yolie only crossed her arms, puffing with insult at the less than proper way she must have looked. She was being carried away by this winged heathen, like a helpless child. But at the moment, for all the hatred and fuming playing through Yolie's mind, she really wasn't giving a hoot. It wasn't like he was going to put her down anyway, nor did she believe herself capable of standing. She felt to upset to waste energy on walking, today's events had drained her completely and it had yet to end.

Lifting Yolie a little higher, senmon tickled her forehead with one of his ear feathers, still trying to build his courage for the apology. "What do you want? You keep pissing me off then trying to tease me. What? What!" Yolie barked out, snarling and flinging her hands this way and that, girly slapping at his gentle stroking with squee sounds. Shaking his head, senmon took Yolie strait to his study, the vibration of subtle chuckles rocked the human until she scrunched into a little ball. She was in for it now, that inward laughter of his meant nothing good on her part.

"Senmon, where are you taking me?" Yolie really didn't need him to answer, she knew exactly the direction he was headed. Twisting and turning towards the familiar dank hallways that lead to a cobwebbed room, to a place that winter itself dwelt by the intense chill that blanketed the atmosphere within those walls. The dark angel never responded, knowing full and well she was not daft enough to need his answering to figure it out, focusing on his destination with blind determination. His eyes flickered red, forcing the chamber doors to gracefully swing open, revealing a banquette fit for a king and his reluctant queen. seating the young woman down in her usual spot, senmon went to his own chair, basking the room in endless shadows yet again.

Yolie only sighed of her usual destined fait, unable to see her fork even if she did possess the appetite to dine. "Why do you always do that? I don't care what you look like, your still the same ass on the inside." It was a sentence hot and steamy, saucy like her attitude. 'Gee, thanks for the compliment.' Senmon slurped the brail, taping one claw over the top of the table. Perhaps this wasn't a good time for pleasantries. Lord help him, the things he picked around in her snarled thoughts, all of them, wished him a very painful end. Exhaustedly rubbing the bridge of his nose, the fallen angel exhaled a long breath, pointing out the obvious, "Did it ever occur to you that, by chance, I don't want you too? That maybe, I might, oh I don't know, want my identity a secret?" His glowing orbs settled on her, staring the human down with one brow raised for questioning.

Rolling her shoulders, Yolie just tossed her head from side to side, still keeping both hands nestled in her lap. "Well don't blame me for being a little curious than, I'm only human." That she was, one that deserved far better treatment than he could offer. The dark one balanced his head in one hand, still taping that claw. "You will regret seeing me, it's not a thing of beauty."

"I don't care." Yolie brought her eyes up, bashful in a way, hopeful in a sense. Shaking his head, the digimon blew a drawled sigh, focusing his attention towards the untouched food on her plate. "Will you eat something? I can't have you waste away, or I might have to force feed you. Like a lil baby." How the idea was delicious in its own little way, very enticing to the wishful angel.

"I-I'm not really that hungry."

Senmon lazily stretched his arm over to her, taking Yolie's bandaged hand in his much larger one. "Then I'll just have to resort to the hand feeding you than." A dark humor lay coated in that suggestion, one she knew was going to place her in another awkward position. With eyes growing wide, Yolie tried to pull her hand away, but the master only squeezed lightly, keeping her fleeing thoughts stilled.

"No, I'm just not hungry right now, I'll eat later." What a protest, 'do I ever win?'

"But how can I be sure you wont lie to me?"

"I haven't done so yet, and I'll bet your just itching for a freakin excuses to go frolicking around in my brain." His sneer grew, but Yolie only knew from the tenderness settled behind his watchful gaze. Batting her lashes, and reorganizing her body functions to a calm liking, Yolie thus descended her gaze to the table, asking the dreaded obvious, "So what's my price this time?"

Before any answer was spoken, physically or mentally, he placed the cloth back over his features, lifting the flames in the hearth with the same mysterious powers that pulled the servant girl's chair closer to himself. Taking hold of the human by the waist, he thus snuggled her into his lap, purring inwardly with pleasure from the familiar feel of a woman touching his tingling flesh. She fit so perfectly there, seated in an improper way, but fit like a missing puzzle piece. One could get dirty idea's if they hadn't read the beginning of this story and just so happened to walk in and see this. (I've got my eye's on you, you hentai's.)

Even though she struggled, Yolie knew it was all in vain, a game she was never destined to win. He would get his way, whether she was willing or not. he said it himself that he was never denied his wishes, and when sitting in the dark angel's lap with nothing but a nearby fork as a weapon, it was very likely he would keep that record going.

"tonight," he began, a whisper against her ear lobe, "I WANT to feed you." "where the hell do you come up with this stuff?" she stiffened her jaw, crossing her arms as her master rubbed her straitened backside. Shrugging his shoulders, senmon could do not but frame an innocent expression, smiling wickedly all the same behind it all. "Spur of the moment."

"Spur of the moment my foot, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were very sick in the head. Trying to seduce a poor, little digi-destined like me. I can always call the police on you, with charges of sexual harassment slapped on you in court."

"I tremble in fear." he mocked, pulling her plate over to them. "So do you start with dinner or do you usually go strait for dessert?" Yolie didn't answer, merely snorting indignantly into the air. "Dessert it is then." He placed a spoonful of pudding to her lips but the girl never hinted of opening her mouth, even if the delicacy was inviting.

Senmon tried again, smearing it on her mouth just a smug, making plane sounds like an adult would do for an infant. Still she remained determined to fwort him. "This is your price, remember? If you don't do It, I get a free vacation in your head." Yolie didn't budge. "It doesn't matter If I do it or not, you'll always go digging around, messing with my memories and thoughts."

"Why does it mean so much to you? sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it until it's too late. You make it sound like I'm violating you or something, I have only seen things you feel strongly for. The memories that stick out the most, the thoughts that insult me the loudest. It's almost like your saying them."

"Then I won't agree to do any more of these humiliating things with you if you can't even stick with your promises." And that was final. No more, this had gone on long enough for his amusement and she refused to participate any longer. That meant he had no reason to feed her, that meant no more close time with Yolie. 'Oh no, you're not taking that away from me. You forget so quickly who rule's here.'

Setting the spoon aside, senmon just eased back in his chair, unwrapping his hand from her body. So be it, let her know the intrusion inside. Senmon would make extra attempts to make himself known when she least expected him. _'Very well, you may go.' _The voice was smooth, frightening in many aspects. was this a trick? A new cat and mouse game concocted for this very occasion? Swiveling her eye's over to the digimon Yolie was purely at a lose for words. "That's it? Your letting me leave?" Her eyes temporarily brightened, even though her instincts screamed that this battle was yet to be over, that he was not defeated so easily. Senmon nodded, with the doors to unlock and reveal the outside halls._ 'You're dismissed to you're room.'_

Why was he speaking with his mind? She was right up against his body and yet he spoke in that secretive fashion. The hairs on the back of her neck arched forward, standing by the lurking threat behind unknown generosity. Cautiously, Yolie scrambled from his lap, never taking her eyes off of his still form. This was an unpredictable creature, one bent on death and destruction, she could never allow her defenses down for too long or her back turned for any longer than need be.

Just as Yolie began her retreat, senmon clasped her hand in one swift gesture, locking his grip around the sensitive wound. "But first, my sweet, you have to tell me one thing. And let's hope you have the right answer." 'Oh God, here it is. I should have known there was a price. There's always a price.'

"Can you forgive me for this?" His thumb traced the bandages, his heart surely raced a marathon. The dark angel had held his breath, awaiting her answer, praying it to be promising. Could she say the word... and mean it? Nodding, Yolie didn't really have time to think. She was determined to find a dream world in which she could easily escape, having only senmon to block her way to that promising candy land in sleep. "Yeah, you sure pissed me off but I know I stepped over the line this morning. I should've asked first."

A smile lifted to his eyes, forcing senmon to breath relief. _'oOay, you may go. Have fun.'_ That was it? Surely he had some sort of hidden agenda, senmon wasn't reputed to just let someone leave without a price. But then again, he did speak to her telepathically. _'What are you waiting for, leave if you want?' _He was almost urging her, placing a gentle push for compliance. Shaking a finger, Yolie removed her bandaged hand, finding more and more reason's to stay than actually depart, "You're trying to get rid of me, so later you can go romping around in my head. I'm on to you buddy, you got something in store don't you!"

The digimon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, rolling his eyes in that smug fashion he was draped with; the God given annoyance born to a cocky male. "What are you hiding?" Yolie slapped her hands down on the table top, figuring deceit to lie somewhere in his character tonight. _'Nothing, my sweet. I'm up to nothing.'_ "Then start talkin with your mouth. I'm not deaf!"

_'I never said you were. I just feel like using this form to communicate with you, that's all.'_ And unnerve her for it too. She knew he wasn't going to fess up to anything any time soon, so this discussion was as good as over even before it started. That one was sly, slippery, cuddly, and not to mention an egotistic A-hole. Little trust was held when senmon had that glimmer in his eyes, Yolie learned to find answers by looking there a long time ago. "I got my eye on you." Yolie gave a sideward glance towards her master, then went to finally leave. "As I for you." he whispered, having Yolie only hear a low rumble instead of the actual words.

a chuckle radiated from the dark angel, he slapped his knee, forcing his servant girl to twirl around and find out what the heck had him so tickled. "I knew it, what did you do!" she reached behind herself, trying to see if there was a kick me sign taped there. after senmon got his breath back, he leaned against the table for support, still finding it difficult to speak. _'I was just picking through your mind, trying to find something interesting, and couldn't help but see one memory of when you left a flaming bag of dog poo on Davis's doorstep. he stunk for a week, trailing it all over your fathers shop, never realizing the stink was on the bottom of his shoe. if I didn't know any better, I'd say you had it out for him.'_

"God bless it, stop that!" Yolie searched the room for something to grab and chuck, something that could scrap that devilish smile from his face. But whenever her eyes found a promising weapon, it scooted away as senmon moved them just out of her reach, using that disturbing power of his. She was left defenseless, raising a finger up to protest, her words becoming jumbled and stuck to her tongue. The only thing Yolie could manage as a response was the growls and snarls from her enflamed rage. Senmon beat her to speaking, this time with his mouth, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to see that? Or what about when you flushed your little sisters cell phone down the toilet? Still not supposed to see this stuff? Forgive me, I can't help myself." He was mocking her, sneering no less at the upper hand he consistently held.

Fuming in her spot, Yolie grumbled, unable to stare at that thing just across from her. "Damn you."

"What's this? Having second thoughts on leaving? And you were so bent on getting off scoot free, what a shame." Senmon just wouldn't let up, and Yolie couldn't decide if she should run or stab a fork into his throat. Leaning back in his seat, the digimon placed both hands behind his head, closing his eyes in triumph. "You know, my offer still stands." Sure it did, he planed for this, he always had a back up plan for everything.

Squaring her shoulders, Yolie stiffened her jaw, "You wont stick to the deal, you never do. go ahead, have your kicks, you were going to anyways. At least this way I wont be degraded." And after that spat Yolie retreated to her room, leaving senmon's confidence thrown right back into his face. He had been so sure she would fold, bend to his will like so many others. But she didn't. Still full of tougher things, still independent with no one to dominate her life.

Yolie may be stuck here, but be damned if she was going to let him enjoy it. "FINE! Be that way, hope your friends can thank you once I'm finished cleaning out that little mind of yours." Humfing, the dark one crossed his arms in front of his chest, gritting his fangs to hold down any further dispelled snarls.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Exchanging her work kimono for a nightgown, Yolie plopped exhaustedly onto her mattress. The stress was over whelming, her nerves shot beyond repair. This was far worse than calculus class, and this was only the third day. Just think of an eternity putting up with this, 'I just want to strangle that perverted duce bag.' Yolie shielded her eyes with one hand, rubbing the sourness hacking into her skull. Senmon was giving her a major migraine, all his deals and empty promises and mysteries finally winding her down.

It was all falling apart, life was racing out of control to a fast approaching dead end. It was safe to say that Yolie felt like she had hit rock bottom while staying here, and senmon just kept smashing her down further into the dirt with his heel. "Man. what's the point anymore?" Turning over, her sights fell on the little picture she had hidden, the one that showed a smile underneath. Reaching out, Yolie observed every feature on little Ken's face. He was so young, so innocent.

This Ken was everything the dead one was not, and never could be. "You suck, you know that?" Yolie questioned the picture child, scolding it, lecturing a photo. 'Oh yes, I have defiantly lost it. Curtsey of senmon.'

If only she possessed the will to shred that smile, chuck it down a toilet or out the window. That's all Yolie needed, to dust away the cobwebs and make a clean slat for her mind. To finally let past be past and never look back at the pain it promised. Sighing grimly, the woman instead bit her lower lip, tears clogging the edges of her lids. Letting go was easier said than done, and never, not even in this life time, would his face ever leave her be. It was a personal ghost, a mental attachment that left Yolie to think herself a stalker or mental case. That had to be the only reason she sulked so much, fantasized about a dead guy. She was a loony in need of a place where strait jackets were dress code.

Yolie pulled the picture close to her heart, allowing for a few droplets to fall onto the blankets. 'You jerk. You just had to die on me. I hate you for being so cute and nice and... and... why couldn't I like someone else?' The girl had to place a hand in her mouth to hold down the scream, biting down on her flesh until that was the only thing clouding her mind. The shadows sliced into her room, streaks of lightening illuminated her face when they came chewing through the clouds. Rain pelted thickly on the glass and all Yolie could do was cry.

That seemed the only thing she was good at lately.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A creak came from the door, with crimson eyes glowing within the darkness. It grew still within these walls, quiet in the castle with only the patter of rain to drown the silence. He watched her, the way her chest lifted slowly in sleep and the thickness of a salty aroma filled the room. Stepping forth, the dark angel glided over towards Yolie's bed, stealthful without need.

Senmon had to hold his nose, the foul stench of tears viscously assaulted his nostrils, leaving him to slowly adjust and recover enough to tower above Yolie's body. Her sweet, loving face was framed by the spilling violet locks of hair, curling on the ends to hug the contorted frown. She was curled into a little ball, the blankets swallowing her in the cushy warm clutch until senmon felt compelled to lay there with her. "Yolie?" Senmon leaned forward, the drum of his pulse throbbing within his ears. Extending one hesitant hand, the dark one swooshed those silky lose strands from the girls face, admiring her softness between his fingers. Falling to his haunches, the angel sat his chin on the mattress, eye level with her now.

There was no real reason for his entering into her haven, he was hardly welcomed. that was made clear by the unleashed tears. But he felt lured to see her, to comfort her. He was the cause for all her misery, so it hadn't been difficult to feel Yolie's sorrow. It smothered the air so thickly about the castle that the pain nearly seemed his own, winding most that came only a few feet of her oak doors.

"I... I need to tell you something." Senmon began, stumbling over his words, knowing good and well she was dead asleep and unable to hear. Clasping her hand in his, senmon prayed for strength, trying to find it in her touch, deciding to toss caution to the scattering winds. He needed to admit the inevitable truth, his growing lie, his inner secret. Yolie deserved the truth, and he could no longer keep denying who he once was to her or himself. Piercing one fang into his lip, the coopery fluid sat there on the edge of his tongue, as did the words he whispered, "Yolie, I'm... I'm... Ken." Gulping the building lump, senmon brought his glowing orbs up to her face, shining a sickly red upon her features from the light.

"I wanted to tell you, for so long. I-I even... watched you, through camera's when you were in the real world. But... I was..." the ear wings drooped, the sadness constricted the very air senmon relied on, "Afraid." It choked him to admit that, even now when she wasn't able to learn this. "I'm sorry I made you cry when I died. I see now you never got over the lose. It was my fault, my choice... don't cry for me anymore... please."

Yolie gave a delinquent sigh, one that forced all of senmon's heartstrings to tug simultaneously. His scar felt like it had caught fire by the sound, inflaming his blood and heightening his pulse by the soft lulling note. "I do look through your memories. I wanted to see my face... the way you saw me. before this." He motioned to himself, twitching his wings at the person she had followed blindly into the darkness of her memories. 'Did I really look like that, or was it only through your eyes? You saw me, who I was.'

Yolie instinctively tightened her hand, nuzzling her cheek into the pillow sleepily. He glanced up at the slight lift on the edges of her lips, closing his eyes to see the reason behind such happiness in her soul. The picture was faded, the sounds muffled in Yolie's haziness, but this never swayed senmon from finding her smile, even through the dense dream fog.

She was kneeling in a meadow, humming melodiously in all the grace of a celestial seraph, picking every bright flower petal her nimble fingers fell upon. The sun pierced through the puffy cotton clouds, outlining the pearly white nimbuses with gold and pink, falling down in its brilliant threads to cast an angelic glow upon her shoulders. It was a magical scene that not even senmon found himself capable to imagine, stealing his breath as the shimmers crowned Yolie's scalp like she wore the promising day upon her shoulders and a heavenly halo encircled her tumbling silky strands. "Yolie." The dark angel breathed, reaching a clumsy hand towards her mesmerizing light.

Turning towards the familiar voice, Yolie smiled peacefully at the angel, fluttering her long lashes in an innocent habit. Skipping rhythmically, the woman seemed to float as she hopped, sending the white dress to bounce and flow from every movement she created, like waves splashing down her curvy body. But, as the angel went to clasp her in his arms, she passed through his image as if he never existed, like he was a wisp of smoke, laughing blissfully to herself in the sunshine she bathed in.

'No, where is she?' He searched around himself, spinning in the direction she had skipped, locking his gaze upon the true reason for her merriness. Senmon's heart failed, his pupils narrowed on the one she now had firmly in her arms. 'Ken.' All the world became ice, crumbling around the three until it seemed to wither away. His brow's pinched together, allowing that once overwhelmed smile to melt by each soothing whisper his figment self cooed into Yolie's shimmering hair. Ken stroked the strands, wrapping a protective arm around the girls waist.

"No." senmon moaned, ready to fall apart at any given moment. Each brush of the lips smashed another part of his soul, every joyful smile beamed at the human version of himself tore another gap into his shuttering heart. The air was coming less and less, coldness constricting all the life from the inside out. and still they held each other, at the cost of the observing digimon's sanity. Senmon had never felt so rejected, he never knew his heart could splinter so violently into a million pieces within his chest. he had never been so... alone.

"I wanted you to love ME," Senmon whispered, bowing his head at her temporary happiness, running his fingers through the already messy hair, "But you love a shadow. You'll never... I'm nothing to you." He had no place in her heart anymore, was only a monster that kept her in his keep. "I'm only a freak in you're eyes."

"I love you Ken."

Shamefully lowering his head further, senmon hissed at the words, their echo chewing his ears with a burn he could never relieve. Clenching both lids tightly shut, the digimon pulled away from her dream, finding all his body numb and useless from shock. If he had remained any longer to absorb the bitter lose, Yolie might have been put into a deadly coma by his rage. She had been to blind to notice his storm clouds disrupting her fantasy, or his flourishing depression watching her from a distance.

"Why can't you love me? this me?" He had lost such a precious thing, allowing it to slip through his fingers from such a faulty decision. There was no answer, and possibly never would be when she seemed to enjoy her make believe more than his company. As he began to stand, with a glazed glassy cloud sinking into his eyes, a small rectangular object caught senmon's sight, hidden underneath Yolie's deli quiet hand.

Senmon reached down, scooping up the paper in curiosity. he hurt to much to loom in her presence for much longer, and knowing he was destined to be denied companionship was it's own battle just to appear firm and unmoved by it. After turning the paper around, the face that stared back was HIM!

He hated that face, that smile now! It stole everything from his clutches, it was painful and disgusting and he HATED IT! 'Where did she get this? Who the hell showed this to her!' Growling ferociously, senmon felt the rage build uncontrollably, burning deep down until all his powers sizzled anything close to his touch, singeing the age old photo around his fingers. Senmon had to destroy this thing, that memory. She mustn't see it EVER again. The aggressive snarl vibrated the walls, startling Yolie from the pleasant slumber she reluctantly pulled from, only to find a very outraged digimon loaming dangerously over her bed.

His focus never fell from the photo, staring daggers into his old human form in jealous disposal. Ken had everything, EVERYTHING he could have ever possibly dreamed of and it was gone. That person stole senmon's world, his life. Yolie could do not but squeak at the roar building inside senmon's chest, plundering out to shake her room yet again. The hunched shadow placed all the fear back into her body, forcing Yolie to yank the covers up to shield her from his pint up rage. She knew who this was, and he was not pleased with the discovered theft. "W-What are you doing here?" Yolie's voice caught in her throat, and his attention, bringing those hateful blood pools directly towards her. "Senmon?" She held the blanket up to her chin, there was nothing else she could do.

"I hate this picture."

Just when Yolie was ready to open with a response, senmon thus began the shredding. His claws sliced the paper into many jagged slashes, making quick work on the snap shot of an innocent time, ripping the loving smile into a million pieces before her gawking eyes. "No, stop! what are you doing?" Yolie's voice was small, nearly a whisper when it flew from her lips. Senmon threw the rest of the trash down to the ground, heaving heavily, eyes narrowed on what had been the apple of her affection.

Taking her upper arms in that bone shattering clutch, senmon's claws ate through her gown. The dark angel brought his crimson orbs closer to Yolie's face, burning her with scrutiny and hatred for himself, "He's dead! Never coming back no matter how badly you want him too! Don't you to cry for him anymore, NEVER cry for him!" His voice grew, shaking Yolie down to the very core at the frightening sight before her.

Her eyes were nothing but unshed crystals, glimmering at the reality she had reluctantly awoken too; only to find a demon spatting of nothing more than the painful truth. "Don't cry." Senmon's voice dropped, the suffering stabbed his chest repeatedly at that fear radiating in her shimmering orbs. His brow's lifted, the glow behind his eyes dimmed only enough to appear less frightening. It wasn't that easy for a heart to let go, she couldn't. She could never forget. her tears splashed down to senmon's arms, stinging him slightly once making contact to his unbandaged flesh.

Wincing, the dark one struggled underneath her innocence, softening his voice only to have his own sob's to crack the air, "Just stop crying... for me." The last word had been to low for Yolie to decipher, leaving a girl to quiver her lip at the creature still holding her arms. He dropped his head, closing his eyes sadly to reclaim the violent demon inside.

Loosening his grip, the dark angel fell forward, taking Yolie up in his arms to hold down the empty void. He wanted to fill that nothingness, to be rid of the hollow place and feel free again.

Yolie was locked in his embrace, unable to think, to create any solution to this awkward problem. But eventually, the only thing she could conjure was to except his loneliness. She had to ease that violence, smooth out the line's surrounding his heart. Steadily raising her arms, Yolie patted the dark angel's shaking back, feeling her way through the soft feathers to find the bandages around his skin. And with further exploration, she managed to find the cold patches of exposed flesh, paying extra close attention to contacting her hands with it.

"Don't cry." Yolie assured, resting her face into his shoulder. He smelled so wonderful, so familiar that she rattled her brain to connect that scent to memory. "You don't have to be sad." She was so quiet with the words, killing a piece of the dark one with that believable concern ringing in her tone. Why did she have to be an angel of pity, so beautiful and merciful that senmon found beating himself up the only solution to lesson the guilt.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." Senmon sniffled, the best he could, without distorting the words beyond recognition.

Shaking her head, Yolie massaged his back many times before speaking, "I've already forgave you."

"But why?" He pulled his head from the lazy position, trying to find the answers in her eyes. Why did she forgive something like him? He was a monster, a horrible, repulsive creature unwanted in any world. Yolie only beamed a solemn smile, stroking his bangs from those fading red orbs, her hand snatching senmon's breath away by the loving caress, "Because you apologized. Stop being a baby, just be happy. You know you wanna."

His chin tipped to fall onto his chest, having his gaze flutter over to the rain splattered window. He felt truly weak, running to Yolie when she obviously had more problems than he. Sighing at the melancholy weather, senmon chewed on his tongue in indecision. Should he confess all that he had while she slept? Would she feel anything once she knew the ugly truth? But most importantly of all, would she still love something that was meant to die?

Yolie rubbed her moist cheeks with the back of her hand, glancing down over senmon's shoulder to see the torn photo she had discovered. 'Why did he do that? He must really hate Ken, for something. I probably shouldn't ask what right now.' And as if he had heard, the dark angel nodded in the shadows, taking one last deep breath to steady himself. "I'll see you bright and early, my sweet." Senmon pushed away from Yolie's cushy bed, enveloping his body in those rippling ebony wings; his protection from the world.

"Good-night." She called, rubbing the area's his claws had pricked her. Those things were sharp, ruining a good pair of clothes for no reason other than he hated someone in a picture. When senmon had retreated to the doors, the movement had disrupted the torn photo pieces into a whirling dance. Some disappeared under her bed while other's followed the fast moving feet to the doors. Once the knob clicked shut, and the presence of her master descending down the corridors, the woman slinked her body down to the floor, sitting on her knee's as she blindly searched for every missing strip.

Only a handful was retrieved, and she had little or no light to put it all back into it's correct position. Yolie heaved a stressful cloud out, swiping some lose strands of hair from her view. "I can't put it back together." Moaning into the night, the girl leaned back on her mattress, placing her forehead on both knee's. Senmon made sure that the face was destroyed beyond repair. But why? No where in the farthest reaches of her mind could she determine why he would do this to her, to poor Ken. Had Ken done something so horrendous to him that he never spoke of it? It was possible, at the way the digimon emperor had tormented this world when he existed.

Scooping the litter into one hand, Yolie thus traveled to her window, opening the glass to allow the rain into her room. Her nightgown became soaked, clinging to her curves as she slowly extended her hand outside the castle. The thunder clashed just above, the rage of the storm drowned any clinging tear left on Yolie's cheeks. And with just one firm gust of the wind's howl, the face and memory of her lost love was blown far from reach, out of Yolie's palm and into the unknown. 'Good-bye Ken.'

It was time to let go.


	10. Caught: Part one

Vixon: yeah, finally got this up and me so happy. I know it's a little late, but better later than much later. At least it's long, so you have to hand that to me. In this chapi, the other digi destined start to make a game plan and Yolie starts to get sneaky. Hope you enjoy.

**Ch9** **_"caught: Part one"_**

Light filtered through the glass panels, basking Yolie's face in its golden fingers as she pushed several layers of sleep from her mind. She had felt the tickling of rays seep into her face for several minute's but never did she expect to wake and see a crystal blue sky stretch to the horizon.

Yolie's hand lifted to cover her vision, turning slightly to take in the familiar setting she had seen so many time's before all this mess. "Sun?" Chucking the blankets aside, the human girl leapt towards her window, flinging it open to fully absorbed the welcoming sight. The shimmering scenery nearly stole her breath. And down below, where rocks once lay, sat a valley of endless beauty. Flowers had miraculously sprung to cover every inch, spanning from exotic to every day varieties to sway hypnotically in the breeze. Some of the climbing types even began to crawl up the castle wall, blooming violet buds in the summer kissed atmosphere.

White puffy clouds swam in the cerulean skies, and the smells of the outside world mixed until Yolie felt like she had gone back to the good ole days, intoxicating her with forgotten thrills until she felt all giddy inside. It was like back in the past, where the digital world was calm, happy, and purely addictive. 'Where... how did this happen?' She felt the excitement bubble up, tickling her chest until it felt as though she would over flow in emotions any second now.

_'Do you like it?'_ The familiar voice of her master echoed hopefully in Yolie's thoughts, leaving the girl to nod as if he could some how see her approval. "It's like a dream come true." Jumping in place, Yolie wanted to sing from the overwhelming joy. She felt a soft sigh infiltrate her thoughts, one full of a hidden giggle and exhausted relief once she had answered. Without saying another word, she barreled out of her room, running strait to his chamber at speeds she never believed she held. She felt like a small child waking on Christmas morning, finding a large stash of present's just waiting for her eager eyes.

Flinging the doors wide open, Yolie searched the area for senmon; a large smile smothered her lips. "Senmon?" Yolie called, unable to locate him right away. A creak came from one of his doors, followed by the dark angel himself to gaze out from the small crack. He reminded her so much of some gothic vampire, lurking around the foreboding castle until all was dark and gloomy again. Yolie rushed over towards the crimson stare in haste, pushing her way through just to wrap him in the warmest of hugs. "Thank you thank you thank you. It's so lovely, I don't know how you did it but thank you."

His expression was unreadable there for a moment, but she quickly felt the sleepy smile possess his features. The calm gentleness in his eyes was all it took to confirm that assumption. Lifting his hand up to her head, senmon stroked the soft silky locks in slow tantalizing movements. "Your welcome." Once hearing that tired voice, the girl looked closely at his posture, temporarily releasing him to study his movements from the moment he spoke.

Yolie took senmon's hand in both of hers, now finding the tremble he masked from an endless night of work and stress. "You need to sleep."

"I'm fine. I've stayed up longer than this working, it's nothing to me." (The longest being around 2 weeks from the second chapter)That wasn't all too reassuring, especially when his yawns kept interrupting every other word. Tilting her head in skepticism, she planted a firm expression over her face, "You better get in bed. I love the present, but I don't want to see you strain yourself for my sake."

"I don't mind, so long as you like it. You can go out and play if you want."

"You mean, I have a day off?" The angel nodded sleepily, with both lids drooping lazily over his blood orbs. "Are you sure you won't change your mind? You don't need anything at all like breakfast?" Swinging Yolie to face the open doors, senmon pushed her out in the tenderest way he could, holding the knobs after she was completely out of his actual room, "I'll call you if I need anything, have fun today." Before he could completely shut her out, Yolie placed one hand on the black wood, pressing her face to the crack.

She was unable to see anything besides senmon's glowing eyes, he was obstructing her view of anything else and she had failed to look around due to the excitement earlier. "After your nap, why don't you come out with me? We could have a picnic, and play some soccer."

Senmon blinked in confusion at first, then gulped at the suggestion, swiveling his focus all around to locate a suitable answer. After delaying himself from responding, the dark one finally closed both eyes, sighing into the air, with lack of energy behind it, "We'll see." It wasn't an answer Yolie was expecting, but at least he didn't flat out say no. 'But why did I invite him anyways? He imprisoned me, my friend, and kills who ever he wants! He's a creep. But... ' She finished off, staring at the shut doors, 'he did go through all this trouble for me. Making a flower filled garden over night is no easy task, even for him.' Yolie quickly shook these thoughts aside, knowing good a well anything she even wisped about was dangerous. Senmon could be listening in on her inner conversation as we speak, so with that in mind, she hurried out the doors to get dressed.

She wanted to thank him even more for this, for all the trouble he went through just to see her smile. But then again, perhaps it was just his guilt for harming her that forced the digimon to do this. He HAD nearly dislocated her wrist from the rest of her arm. Or perhaps, it was much much more.

Yolie didn't know for sure, but as she exited his room, she turned back by the stare she just knew was following her. And as she had assumed, senmon's door closed again when she had glanced up at it. A smile upturned her mouth; along with a very embarrassed shade of red slithering it's way up her face. He had been watching her, quietly, making positively sure she was pleased with his present.

Placing one hand to her grin, Yolie felt all-warm inside knowing he cared. 'Maybe wormmon was right. Maybe... He does love me.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yolie spread a blanket out on the plush green grass under a sakura tree, giggling at the floral fragrances invading her nostrils by the teasing wind. She had to swipe a few loose strands from her view, lifting her face up to greet the bright sun above. Closing her eyes, she thus began to spin on her heels, dancing in a circle until she fell onto the light orange cover. 'I love this.' She cooed, snuggling up to the soccer ball wormmon had located for her earlier.

Yolie would have gone after the ball herself, but it appeared the storage room doors were locked tight and wormmon was the only one given permission inside. The little dopey digimon wore the key around his neck, determined to keep anyone from disobeying senmon's direct orders.

Tossing over the other way, the girl stretched out like a jungle cat, yawning at the peacefulness enveloping her mind. This was the life, and she enjoyed the little day off more than any overworked employee. Little be known to her, a familiar set of eyes watched intently every move she made from his perch, leaning over his balcony to watch the girl down below. Senmon held his wings above himself, shading his face and body from the intensity of the suns rays. It almost felt like it was searing his flesh, hence the reason he had digital storms surrounding his castle to begin with. But if this is what Yolie wanted, than he was more than willing to give up one comfort for her smile.

Leaning his head on one hand, the angel sighed distantly to himself; unable to sleep knowing Yolie was down there without protection. Any vandal creature, lacking a brain, could attack her in broad daylight, with no reason other than she being a human. And to senmon's dismay, she was out farther than he found comfortable. 'I knew I should have told her to stay close to the castle. She can be such a scattered brained idget some times.'

Wormmon brushed past his master's elbow, having leapt onto the stone border just to see what it was senmon watched so intently. "Yolie is really happy you deleted the storm clouds." The worm whispered, unsure if standing so close to his master was the wisest of choices. His worries were soon dashed once the angel gave a small chuckle, blinking very slowly to emphasize his tired state, "I know. She told me." Wormmon grinned, turning his attention on his partner, getting just a little closer.

"Everyone is wanting to thank you for the sunshine. It really lift's the spirits when it's not raining all the time."

"Like I give two shit's what everyone else thinks."

The insect fidgeted, rolling his eyes towards the blue sky after hearing that. "It was a very nice thing anyways." Senmon glared towards the larvae, brows slanted in its usual annoyed fashion, "Wormmon, shut up." One brow lifted curiously once finding his partner covered in bandages, "What happened to you?"

Wormmon sniffed into the air, crossing his arms in indignity at the question, "I had a run in with a brown bunny and two flights of stairs. Don't get me started with what the hell was going through her mind at the time."

"Oh. Have to watch out for those cute one's." Wormmon could just feel senmon smirking after saying that, making him puff out from embarrassment.

Senmon fluttered his wings when a cool breeze thrusted itself up to his balcony, the rays of light streamed through his feathered protection to burn exposed flesh. "DAMN LIGHT!" Clenching one hand to the stinging burn, senmon snarled many curses at the ignorant choice he had made to stand out in broad daylight.

Spinning on his heels, he vanished inside his dark room, punching the nearest wall once inside. Wormmon flinched at the crumbling sound, his once pale green color changing to white again. "Master? Why are you so upset? It will heal in only a matter of minutes." And that was true. If you could say one thing about the dark digimon it was that he seemed nearly invincible due to that regeneration skill. Senmon pulled his hand from the wall, flexing his claws in rage as his focus fell to the one that had spoken.

"How am I supposed to join her out there when I can't even stand in the sun! **HOW**!" For once, senmon was cursing his own skin, the weakness it held to pure light for too long. He felt so much like a vampire, trapped within these confining walls until dusk approached. And by then, Yolie would return inside and he would miss the conversation's they could have shared.

Persperating thickly, wormmon huddled into a defensive ball at the veracity inside each word. This sounded like the old senmon all knew and feared, leaving the little bug to tremble all over from the suffering he was sure to endure. "I-I-It's not all that bad m-master."

"Not that bad?" Senmon questioned, his eyes burning with that said, "NOT THAT BAD!" Wormmon was lifted up by his band-aid covered antennas, shook repeatedly for suggesting such a thing, "And how is it not that BAD! Do you see a way for me to go out there without the clouds? NO! I can either ruin her day, or suffer. Now please explain to me how this isn't THAT bad." The little digimon opened his eyes temporarily to gaze at his master, whimpering like he should for his life, "You could always just put more bandage's on, or use sunscreen, or put on a heavy coat to block out the sun."

For a moment, senmon's face fell. Why hadn't he thought of that? 'If it wouldn't be awkward I'd kiss you for that wormmon.' Senmon dropped his partner instantly, running to his closet containing many things he never used. Digging around the junk, senmon pulled out a fresh role of bandages, followed by a large trench coat he had stolen from a beelzemon. There were even hole's in the back that senmon slipped his wings through.

His hand hovered over a silk sheet draping his mirror, the only other one, besides in Yolie's bathroom, that existed in this castle. But he thought better, reclaiming his appendage as he stepped away from it. He didn't want to see himself; he never wanted to gaze at the foreign creature he had become. 'Knowing my luck, I'd just break the mirror when it saw me.' Hurrying to wind the bandages on any exposed part, even his bare feet and face, senmon turned towards his digimon, tying the last strand in place before asking what his servant thought.

"Er... Well, your covered master." Was all the insect offered, turning away before the laughter consumed him. Growling under his breath, senmon only strolled towards his balcony, choosing to ignore that statement. Hesitantly standing in the light, the dark angel awaited for the sun to sting his flesh, shutting his eyes for the pain soon to strike. But it didn't. He was thankful for that, spreading his wings to glide down to the carpet of grass.

Yolie sat up the moment she felt the up lift of air tousle her hair, glancing up at the shadow that had fallen over her. She smiled once realizing who loomed quietly, thankful it wasn't some rogue digimon out for 'good times' with her. "So you finally decided to come outside. Guess you couldn't sleep?" She was very observant, smirking at his mummymon appearance. "The bed was too hard." He complained, lying out his teeth while waving aside her question.

"Wanna play some soccer?" She offered a very irresistible temptation. Not in the past, and not even now, could he ever pass up an opportunity to show off his skills, though they more than not had diminished to novice standards from lack of training? Senmon gave a slight chuckle, kicking up the ball like before, "I promise to go easy on you."

"Aren't you a regular chauvinistic pig?"

"Anything for you, my sweet." He jumped half the distance to a set of rocks, bouncing the ball patiently on his knee's as she jogged to catch up. "So I take it this is you're goal?" Yolie inquired, removing her windbreaker as he nodded. "Yours can be those tree's over there. That seems the right distance, if you still think you can beat me that is."

"Thought you said you were going to take it easy on me." Senmon leaned forward, patting her head like she were an obedient pet, "I'll give you a ten second head start, I'll even count really slow for you Yolie."

'Head start?' Yolie's brows pinched together, knowing deep down she had heard those exact same haunting words somewhere else in her life time before. But where? "Yo, Yolie? You wanna get this started or what?" Her opponent waved a hand in front of her questioning glare, passing the ball over to her limp arms to get this party going already. It seemed senmon was anticipating this more than she was, inpatient at her procrastination from a little de ja vu experience.

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, the girl tossed all concern back behind her, reminding herself that last night she had vowed to let go all that shadowed the past. This was her clean slate to work with, and she figured that now was the best time to make it worth something.

Smirking to the awaiting digimon, Yolie squeezed her clutch on the soccer ball, backing to the middle of the court, "Prepare for one heck of a butt whooping." She warned, muscles itching for the battle of stamina. It was on, and she promised to never lose to her master ever again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

T.K. raped on the Inoue's door, running a hand over the trickles of sweat accumulating over his cressed brow. It had been three days since Yolie disappeared, and none remotely had a clue to where she went. Her parents had said she was distrait the night she vanished, but had little or no more information concerning the matter. Many concealed the worst to themselves, not wanting to add further worry to an already stress building predicament.

The door came open, Kari being the one that took responsibilities in comforting the family the most. "Hey they're T.K., find anything?" The girls voice cracked, holding the sob of hope down for good news. Sadly, the blond boy shook his head, stepping in to find all of Yolie's friends and family gathered around the living room in tears.

"Not a thing. It's like she just... disappeared. She didn't even leave a note, or an e-mail, to any of us, so possibility of suicide is out. I'd expect her to phone us by now." he sat on the arm of the couch, setting his head in both hands. "That is, if she had access to a phone." Mrs. Inoue gave a wail at the thought, springing from her seat to fall apart in her bedroom. Out of sight, but not out of range of hearing. The Mr. Inoue soon tailed after, hoping to calm the woman that everything was alright with her baby, but it was made clear that something was NOT alright at all. Nothing came together, no clues, no letters, no calls. An utter enigma.

Davis hugged Kari closer, whispering soft reassurances into her ear as Cody sat drinks down for them all. Only the past digi destined remained in the living room, glumly staring at themselves in the soft drinks. "I just don't get it." Matt bellowed, slamming his glass on the table. "She would never do this! She was the most responsible... well, besides G.I Joe over there,"

"Thanks a lot. I appreciate that." Joe grumbled, Matt just ignored him and continued, "She always leaves calls if she'll be gone, or at least send a heads up from MSN. It just isn't like her to up and go. She knows how much her family and us would worry if she didn't."

They all agreed whole heartedly, Kari fiddling with her cup as small drops of tears began to give birth, "Could it be because..." She stopped suddenly, chewing her bottom lip as she looked towards her fiancée panic stricken. "What?" Davis asked, "Did you tell her?" Kari slowly nodded, sniffling as he squeezed her tighter into his hold.

"Told her what?" The rest began, pressing the space that had once stood between them. "I... Me and Davis... I told her we were engaged. She seemed so happy for us."

Jaws dropped at the sudden broadcast, with Tai the first to grab his sister, "And you neglected to inform ME, your own brother, that you were well on your way to getting married? Did you plan on giving the heads up when you passed me down the aisle?" Sweat droplets fell as Sora pulled the over protective brother away before his attention swung violently on Davis, which it did as she pulled him back, "You better treat my sister right or so help me I'll ram that engagement ring up you're urethra!"

"Tai," Sora began, taking the man by the left ear, "Shut the hell up! We kinda have a crisis on our hands and don't need YOU to get all macho on us right now."

"I thought you loved the macho me." He struck a devonair pose, flashing his white teeth at her as he arched a brow as to say you-want-this-man-meat-baby-I-know-you-do. She just groaned and threw him on the couch. All the others kinda shook their heads, knowing their fearless leaders would never grow up.

Kari blushed, holding a hand up to her cheeks as Davis nudged her to continue, "I asked her... since none of us could, to try and get connected to the digital world." Now it all seemed to make sense. Cody clenched his hands together, slightly peeved Kari asked such a thing of their friend, "You knew how she felt about that, Kari. You know she hasn't gotten over it and you still asked her?" He scowled at the girl, as others diverted their eyes from her in the same annoyed manner.

"I.." Kari started, unable to find her voice at this moment. "I just wanted every one to be there for my wedding. But now I regret asking her to do the impossible. I was so selfish. I didn't know... she would vanish. I'm so sorry." The girl broke down, hugging her fiancée desperately to keep from falling completely apart. A knock came from the door, with Matt the one to allow the new comer in. Izzi's presence some how cut the tension building in the room, with Sora to sigh relief when the stares didn't hold blame towards Kari for what she had done.

"Izzi, are we glad to see you. Thanks for being fashionably late." Matt commented, punching the computer wiz lightly on the shoulder. The genius boy just flinched, rubbing the frogged spot with a crooked grin. "Yeah, no problem, I love your greeting system. Can't wait to receive another one soon." Izzi's attention fell on the melancholy faces, knowing that they had failed to locate their friend.

Rubbing the back of his head, he thus placed his laptop on the coffee table, taking a seat in the nearest chair. "So I take it nothings changed?" They all shook their heads. "Kari asked the impossible, and now we think that maybe Yolie snapped." Cody informed him bitterly. "You mean, this concerns the digital world also. That's odd."

"Uh oh. Iz is going to give us a foreign language lecture." Tai threw his hands in the air, trying to prepare himself for the computer mumbo jumbo the wiz kid was about to unleash. Giving them all a peeved look, Izzi opened his laptop and connected to the Internet. "She disappeared four days ago, right?"

"Right." They all said together.

"Then.." Izzi left them hanging, typing in commands as he swiped out his digi-vice, "She's in the digital world."

"You loco man? How the heck is she in there when none of us can even get on the damn thing?" Davis growled, leaning in to see what it was Izzi had the computer processing. Izzi shook a finger at the digitally challenged others, tsking them for their ignorance. "Not so, not so. I've been complying a list of anomalies during the course of three years, hoping to get the systems open for public use for future generations, but it appears that some one or something is tapping into the data. I predict these occurrences tie into the relation of our friends plight."

"Eh?" Davis asked, the same expression mounted on Tai's face as well. "I told ya's he speaks computer-ess." Tai screeched, falling to the floor as smoke filtered from his over used brain. Joe just rolled his eyes at the idiots having a break down from really big words, giving it to them in lamens terms, "Some one's corrupting the system and shutting the openings down, with Yolie inside."

"Exactly. We know now that other digi destines around the world also had access to portals, which were scattered around both worlds. But NOW, someone has accessed the network, manipulating it to their own needs." Izzi spun the laptop around for the others to see a virtual map of the digi world, quite pleased with his studies and accurate depiction. "Nearly all openings are closed for business. Those that still remain are impassible, meaning severe blockage on the other side."

Tai recovered long enough to scratch his head, no longer foaming at the mouth from brain overload, "Then how did Yolie get through? And further more, how did she even open one to begin with?"

"Elementary my dear comrade." While typing in again, Izzi punched up one portal in particular. "This one was functional four days ago, with data traces that someone passed through it."

The entire group nearly yelled out, "Yolie!" together, clamping hands over their mouths when they realized that other people were in this house also. Izzi nodded at the assumption, "She some how found one opening at the right time. All's we have to do is locate another that we can pass through easily, and figure out when it's scheduled to open again. If we don't, I'm afraid that Yolie may be stuck there, without any way to contact us. She might even be in danger."

"What if we can't find one to open with? What if what ever's shutting the portals down gets them all before we can help?" Kari bit out, clinging to hope that what she had just said wouldn't happen. They all just bowed their heads, afraid that every way in and out had already been permitely closed, that they would never see their friend again.

Izzi just shook his head; trying to give some comfort for those truthful words, "Let's hope that isn't the case. And if it is," he punched in another command that sent all eyes to grow in astonishment, "Then I'm fully prepared to make a new one."

"You can do that?" Matt asked, eyes wide in astonishment. The brainiac just presented his most encouraging grin ever, "I knew having a geek around would come in handy one day." Davis blurted out, hugging the poor guy till his neck snapped in a place it shouldn't have.

"Well, I didn't say it was gonna be easy." After swatting the man away, Izzi reorganized his organs to their proper places. "It's not going be like buying a ticket you'd get at the subway station. This is some serious stuff that has a chance we might not even make it there, heaven forbid, even if I can make a warp hole."

"So what kind of chances would we be talkin about?"

Izzi turned to Tai, rubbing his chin as he began to open the file he was already working on, "About 50/50."

"50/50!" The rest shouted, again clamping hands to mouths from the outbursts. Tai just began to smile, "So half of us will make it?"

"Theoretically speaking, if I don't screw up."

"But half of us will make it?"

Izzi and the rest turned annoyed glances at the fearless leader, "Yes Tai, only half. Why do you look so happy about those odds?"

"Cus." He began, "Since I'm the leader, I automatically make it."

"Leader of the old people's." Davis grumbled, referring to the first generation of digi destined. "Hey wait a minute, I was the leader too. We both make it man. Sweet."

The two imbeciles body slam each other, grunting with approval, even though the others just turned to exchange expressions. "Why did we follow them again?" Matt inquired, massaging his temples from stress as others shrugged.

Izzi cleared his throat, calling the testosteron driven males to calm back down, "If I don't make any errors, then we all have a chance of making it, regardless if we were leaders or not. Though becoming a puddle of goo might help you guys more than you can ever possibly know." He added under his breath.

"Still, we have to prepare, and pray that I haven't doomed us all. It will only take a day or two for me to punch into the digital world, so get your butts in gear when I go to light this candle. It won't stay open for very long."

"If only we had a way to know where she is. Or more importantly, get our digimon ready if we're blindly going head long into battle to save her." Kari commented, ringing her hands together from strain. They all nodded to this, readying themselves for the unknown inevitable.

'Be safe Yolie.' They all prayed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Yolie goes left. Fakes right. Readies herself for the kick and..." Yolie let her leg fly to make a goal, only to have herself knocked off balance when her foot connected to only air. Senmon raced past her, with ball in his possession, "And she misses. Awww, too bad. The crowd hold's their breaths as senmon races down the field, going to make another point." Senmon found speaking like this more enjoyable than the actual game, always cutting her off when she was about to make a goal.

"Oh no you don't." Yolie screamed, chasing after him with all the speed she could muster. The adrenaline pumped, the ground pounded with the two stampeding down the court, Yolie closing in fast. He had to hand it to her, she was pretty swift when the taste of victory was on her tongue. She was like a shark out for blood, and he liked her competitive.

Senmon knocked the ball behind him just as Yolie slid to kick it out of bounds, destroying her chance to stop him from scoring one more point to his growing number. He led by a swamping 57 while Yolie only had 8. This battle was slightly unfair. It seemed she was at a severe disadvantage to a digimon that held strength, endurance, and speed on his side. 'Funny, I thought he was just bluffing when he said he was good. You'd think those wings would slow him down.'

Yolie stood after wiping away the grass, growling at the stains and the led he proudly claimed. "Giving up?" Senmon quizzed, dangerously testing her sportsmanship.

Swiping her glare souly on her competitor, the girl just grabbed the ball, getting into position for the next round, "Not on your life." She kicked off, running with everything she had down the grassy field, thrusting her long legs out to leave him biting the dust. But it appeared senmon had no problem chasing her down, running backwards to stare at her determined face. "It's just a game Yolie."

"Yeah," She breathed, slightly irritated he was so cocky, "Well I think you should have a few penalties for showing off." The angel just shrugged, spinning around to reclaim the ball in one swoop. "You should have listened when I told you I was the best."

"You're cheating."

"Maybe you'd like it if I went easy on you."

'You egotistic little...' She was very tempted to say yes, but that would only encourage his confident behavior. Tripping her opponent up just a little, Yolie took the ball down the court, swerving around in a graceful dance once he had remastered his bearings and went to do the same to her. He leapt in front of the woman, serving as goalie, spreading his wings out when she did go to kick it between the rocks.

"Hey! That's cheating. You can't use your wings, they're like second hands."

Setting the ball on his hip after using that magic to hover it towards them, senmon cocked an eyebrow at the challenge, tilting his head to the side when Yolie planted her hands on her hips, "Now where, in all the sports books around the cosmo's, does it say a player can't use his wings?"

Yolie held a finger up, choking back a response when she couldn't argue. "Well, they should. I'm gonna count that as in."

"Alright, alright. I won't use them. But I'm still not going to take it easy on you until you say so." Yolie just flipped him the finger with a screw-you smile and readied herself for his kick off. 'There, that's what I think about ya's going easy on me buddy.'

Regardless of what she said, senmon still lightened up on her just a bit, allowing her to score every so often just to boost her confidence. 'But letting a girl beat me isn't going to happen.' So he was sexist... Only a little.

And for Yolie, she managed to figure that though senmon had speed, she had game plans dating back for when she had to make them up for Davis's plays. She even had knowledge of other teams strategies and dipped full heartedly into the game plays. All this just to show him humans could hold their own in battles... even if it was just a soccer match going to 75 points until it ended.

She began to catch up in points, and senmon began to play a tiny bit rougher than he normally would with what he thought was a novice. He even cheated using telepathy a few times to know what she was scheming inside that head of hers. It was amazing the vast knowledge she harbored from years past. The score was now 74 to 70, with senmon leading.

He charged down the field, throwing grass in the air as his feet tore up the ground towards Yolie's goal. Taking the ball away didn't seem feasible when he guarded it like a freakin hound, so Yolie had no choice but to quickly become goaly or risk him taking the victory. She pretty much had his strategy down by now, figuring he would fake her out and try to finish this game off with a fast lightening maneuver around the competition. Never had he attempted to hit her back with a power ball, probably looking out for her own health, which she thanked him in the back of her mind. At the way he kicked, the ball would go right through a person.

Yolie kept her eye on the feet, watching and waiting as he drew closer. 'You won't be getting past me.' She sent him a loud mental message that forced senmon to smirk. The sweat trickled down her forehead, driving all the tension to build as senmon swiped the soccer ball up into the air.

He jumped up with it, flipping three times to build the momentum, kicking down on the third round about with only an inch to spare from Yolie's head. She couldn't move, didn't dare attempt to block that even if it did mean defeat. Her pupils just narrowed as senmon landed on his arms, back flipping to face her with a triumphant cheer for himself. (Just imagine a move from final fantasy 10 during blitz ball.) "And senmon wins the cup. He took them down old school, made it into the records as best player in both worlds. Oh yeah, I won. Uh... And, good game Yolie. You're better than I thought. But I won, oh yeah."

At first, she couldn't move. The only thing stampeding through her mind were game plays she had burned into memory. She had spent months researching soccer, just incase she ever ran into Ken all those years ago and they would have common grounds to work with. But... how did senmon know those moves? "You did a Blitz." She commented, no longer petrified in confusion.

Senmon was all unseen grins, hands behind his back as he settled down with the victory dances. "Oh, miss Yolie knows her soccer. Did you ever see professional cups, with Spain and...?" She stepped forward; looking the mon dead in the eyes as she replayed the move he just performed. "That one wasn't in any professional games."

"R-r-really?" Senmon allowed only a few sweat droplets to fall, backing up in baby steps as the girl progressed towards him. "In fact, it was one performed by a boy at my school." Her voice dipped into savage suspicion, focused chillingly on her opponent. "I... um... you know the Internet does have a lot of things on it. I go through it every day so..." The dark angel was stuttering, nervously, trying to avoid the connection he felt Yolie' mind processing.

Squinting her eyes up at her master, Yolie came even closer to the one trying to dodge her glare. "How...?"

Senmon straitened his back, holding a hand in front of her face as to stop any more questions from spilling. He motioned it to fall downward, ordering her mind to instantly sleep. And, with that command, the only thing branching out in her thoughts was the undeniable spell, whispering a firm demand to obey. So like the authorities voice ordered, she gave in to fall under the deep slumber.

Falling forward, senmon caught her with out any hesitation or effort. He pulled her up into his arms as she lolled her head against his rising chest. The dark angel just sighed, bowing his head sadly as the guilt ate away at his conscious. "Sorry about this Yolie."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Groggily rising from her spot, Yolie rubbed her eyes sleepily in a daze. 'Did I just pass out?' She felt her head and body to make sure nothing was out of place, since she felt disorintated beyond words. "Ugg." That was the right word to describe how she felt. It was like all the lights just went out, 'On senmon's order.' That was it. Senmon had made her mind shut down. He forced his will on her, possibly giving her brain damage in the process. Yolie immediately took a look at her hand, finding that the feather tattoo hadn't changed in shade at all. So how did he do that? Was his power really that strong?

Raising a fist in the air, a pulse mark formed on the side of her head, "Oh yes, he is going to get it." Charging out of her room, she stormed in the direction of his 'majesty's' chambers, ready to give him one heck of an ear lashing.

"Hi Yolie, did you have fun. Me and wormy were watching from the windows and thought you looked so cute together." Yolie scrunched her nose at that, squatting down to come eye level with cocomon. "He beat me. And he's hiding something." The human growled, tapping into all the puzzle pieces she had collected over the past four days in this dreadful castle.

"Hiding?" The little bunny shrugged her shoulders, placing a fake smile on to mask the inner thoughts, "The master is hiding nothing, and neither is the rest of us if that's what you think." At first, the human was taken aback by the explanation, a questioned expression set in place.

"I.."

"And were defiantly not gonna try anything sneaky either. That's just not possible, nor phathomable so put you're worries to rest cus it's all a lie." And with that interruption, cocomon scurried away, down the hall and out of sight. "I could swear she's a blond on the inside." Yolie shook the inner cobwebs out of the way, standing only long enough to find wormmon down the hall, bandaged form head to toe.

"Holy crap, what happened to you?"

"Mmmmm, women troubles."

"Well, you have to look out for those cute one's. Where is everyone? It's been so quiet today, it's almost creepy."

Wormmon tossed his head this way and that, shutting his lids to recite something he obviously had memorized for this exact moment, "I don't know. Maybe you and senmon should go out and have some more fun while nothing out of the ordinary goes on here."

"Wormmon?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I look stupid?"

"Not really."

"I know you and the rest of the servants are up to something. Now, I'm not sure if senmon is in on it or not..."

"Most likely not. He doesn't really have the expertise in this kind of area." The little worm rubbed his non-existent nose, signaling his master's lack of experience.

"Oh ho." Yolie batted her lashes, trying the puppy dog look, since it usually worked on the poor little guy, to get some answers here and now. "No, no. I wont look at that. It won't work, cocomon has already desensitized me to the womanly charms and it just won't work."

**Ten minute's later **

Wormmon slumped forward, all hugged out, and red in the face for the touchy goodness he received for remaining stubborn. "I'm just gonna say to get your dancin shoes on and that's it. Oh, and try to look surprised tomorrow night. If not, cocomon and the other's will most likely break the rest of my bone's and internal organs for spilling this."

"Gotcha." Yolie saluted as he too disappeared down the winding halls. A smirk lifted onto her mouth as the human held the key that had once been around the little insects neck. 'Hehe, he never even suspects.' She just had to get back into the storage room and find the keyboard and mouse. If not, options fell to planting those disgusting wire's into her skin... and that didn't seem to appealing.

'Must contact others and tell them I'm okay-dokay. Good, game plan in procession.'

……………………

It took only thirty minutes to shuffle through one pile of junk, filtering around until she found the objects she so desired. It was five minutes more when she made it to the doors leading to the control room. It was too perfect. So easy, without any hindrances what so ever. 'Lets just hope that these things still work.' They didn't seem to be in bad shape, actually outdated, but still in good condition.

The shadows hinted a gothic touch, with the creep of night just over the horizon. The dark atmosphere prickled every goosebump on the girl's body, reminding her of those old cheesy horror films she used to watch with the others just for laughs. Now that she was living one, it didn't seem that cheesy any more, just sprouting a heart-wrenching phobia of the things that went bump in the night. Yolie poked her head in to make sure senmon wasn't occupied in there, trying to keep her thoughts quiet like her body, soundless like the dark angel himself.

No sign of the master anywhere, a promising start.

Tip toeing into the metallic room, the girl stepped over the wires and headed strait for the computer screen. To her luck connection jacks where right under the frame, forcing a giggle to escape her lips. The excitement was overwhelming, intoxicating as she automatically swooshed the mouse to the Internet symbol.

"Now this isn't so hard." She clicked to get connected, none the wiser to the dangers laying in wait. Logging into her account, her jaw instantly dropped from the urgent e-mails from friends and family, taking up a majority of her space with bold letters asking, 'WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!' Placing an encouraging smile on, though the others would never see it, she quickly let her fingers fly to inform them on her condition.

First was Cody, the worrywart that would have an ulcer by the time he reached manhood.

_Princessnahnah: Sorry for taking off like that, I had some things to take care of while I was here in the digital world. I assure you're worrying ass I'm fine, if you overlook my bandaged hand from my own stupidity. You know me; always in danger whether I want too or not. It's okay, I'm with friends, and they are very good to me. Peace out._

Now it was T.K.'s turn, his letter still polite with evident concern.

_Princessnahnah: Yeah, I know what you're gonna say. "Don't run off without leaving a name and number for us to call." But there was one hell of an accident I had to jump on, without much thinking on my part. Keep Cody from piddling himself, I'm okay and with a friend. Be cool, talk to you later._

She kinda laughed at the reassurance she was typing, knowing they wouldn't find her vanishing trick very funny. But how else would she word this? 'I've been taken captive but I don't really mind.'? Now that was something to laugh about.

She went through the list, each letter being none too descriptive of whom she was with. Her letter to Kari was positive, thanking her for kicking her out of the fearful shell of the digital world, even if it did land her in this mess. To everyone else, they just knew she was safe and semi healthy.

"Now that takes care of that." Yolie dusted her hands off, logging out and returning to that donkey bango desktop. It was just so weird to see that on there, glaring back at you like it didn't belong to some maniac digimon trying to take over the world. 'Well, everyone has their taste. Even if senmon is a little out there.' She began to unhook the keyboard, so not to leave any evidence of her little adventure into the forbidden, until her sights suddenly fell upon a file that couldn't help but catch a curious eye.

"Personal files?" Staring up at the document, Yolie swished the mouse to hover over the contents, chewing her lip, and swiveling her sights around to make positively sure she was alone. 'Should I open it? If senmon finds out I'm snooping again, I can only imagine what he'll do to me. And I bet it won't tickle either.'

Inhaling a deep breath, the girl eventually made up her foggy mind, crushing the button with her finger to click for the truth stored in that out of place file. Her mouth fell instantly to the ground, mist glazed her eyes as they grew ten time's their natural size. This information... 'It can't be.' It was disturbing, impossible, but right in front of her as Yolie choked down a sob. These files... were on every digi destined. Containing their strengths... and weaknesses.

Including her.


	11. Caught: Part two

**Ch10 _"Caught: Part two"_**

Flying a hand to her mouth, Yolie gasped at the file upon file of every digi destined world wide. She quickly punched in familiar names such as Mimi, and Izzi, discovering that every bit of information concerning those people were right here in this computer. It held such mundane things as their likes and dislikes. Their habits, food preferences, location, family members, jobs, etc. Senmon had it all, including surveillance on those that prompted the most threat dating back only a few minutes ago. He kept a close eye on all, with Izzi the top one.

Yolie scanned the data concerning when the computer wiz last log onto the Internet, which by her surprise was only a few hours ago. The same was held for all of the other's listed in this endless web, going on and on to the site's they went too and how long they stayed. Senmon left nothing to question.

Virtual 3D photos of the kids were visible, right next to their name's and digital partners. Even the digimon were classified, with the same close dissection as the tamers. But most, to her horror, were blacked out in the photos, with the bold red words of deceased across the fade out's.

She looked up a tamer called Mei-Ling from China, discovering that her digi partner, galiantmon, had the words absorbed over its picture. Yolie tried another person from India, their digimon read the words imprisoned. After staring up at the gobs of file's practically every digimon, she soon realized that most were dead and apart of senmon's data now. "Wait. What about...?"

Typing in the names of all her friends, it somewhat relieved the girl to know that all of her friends partners were under lock and key. They were scattered across the world, caged, and far from contact with one another. "Hawkmon must have been the only free one left, wanting to contact us with that one portal earlier." That made perfect sense, since hawkmon had admitted he was no match alone.

Blowing a distant sigh, Yolie thus snapped her gaze up to the large screen, trembling for the fait of her own partner. He had defied the dark angel before, most likely earning him a one way ticket to the after life if it hadn't been for her meddling.

Hastily, she typed in hawkmon's name, clinging to hope that senmon had at least kept his word about this, just once in his life. The data sprung forth, with no darkening of hawkmon's profile. He was alive, but imprisoned also. 'On Guilligan's Island.' Well, at least senmon held some form of a sense of humor. Now it was time to see her own self in the computer, finding out just how much senmon had on her saved into the system.

Yolie nearly fainted at the large collection of information regarding herself. It seemed senmon updated it daily, leaving nothing forgotten or overlooked.

_Yolie Inoue_

_age: 19_

_residence: Tokyo, Japan_

She skipped ahead of the usual stuff, on to more pressing things like if he knew every one of her weaknesses. And sure enough... he did. It was all there, her entire life, her personality down to a T, scrapped into this network for the dark one's disposal.

Sniffling subtly, Yolie scrolled down, finding that he could hack into any video camera in any building in the outside world. He even had some picture's of her high school graduation, and those embarrassing moments of her buying tampons at the grocery store. 'Oh man, did he have to have those?' She blushed ruthlessly, unable to hide the utter shock and paranoia of all this.

Senmon was a pervert. How did she know he didn't possess videos of her undressing in a changing room somewhere? 'I will never take off my clothes again.' She vowed, but probably wouldn't stick to that promise for too long. Well, at least until the stink got to her.

Yolie went further down the list, growing angrier, and redder, by each pin pointed accuracy he held over her. 'That s.o.b. tricked me. He already had everything on everybody without digging into my brain. That cunning bastard, I'll kill him for degrading me like that.'

Snarling under her breath, the girl eventually spotted a hidden file that was currently locked. "He keep's everything else out in the open, but THIS he has a pass word for." She grumbled soundly, double clicking to at least try to crack the code. If she couldn't figure out a doo-hickey contraption such as this, then she was defiantly losing her mechanical abilities.

At first, she started with the simple words like _senmon_, or _digi master_. Neither of those worked. She then typed in _digi destined _and _ruler_, or even _conquest_, but that failed also. "God, what could it be?"

Running a hand through her long hair, Yolie tapped a finger on the keyboard, racking her brain for the secret, the password that was just beyond her finger tips. This file must be very important if he held it in such high regards. 'Well lets see. He has it in MY file, next to MY dislikes. Maybe it has something to do with me.' She thus punched in her name, leading it to reject that idea. She tried her families name's, but still accomplished nothing.

"Wait a minute." Scrunching her expression into sinister sneakiness, the girl finally typed in the one word that drove her up the freakin wall.

_My sweet_

The computer processed the new word, bestowing the eager girl a cheery beep of approval. "Yes, alright. Success is mine." She gave herself a few minutes to do a victory dance, much like senmon's, hoping on one foot as she did the Egyptian back and forth. "I rule. Uh huh. Who dat? It's me." Once the entire file came forth, Yolie's smiles soon depleted.

"This is... my diary." She clenched a fist, grinding her teeth together as she spat out, "That A-hole read MY diary!" Banging her hand into the monitor, the human was down right furious with that manipulative pig. Of course he knew everything about her now! How could he not after indulging in her personal thoughts and writings!

Yolie took many breaths, wanting to argue with that creature as soon as she caught wind of him. But then he would know she was poking around, prying into secrets which in all actuality were HER'S to begin with. 'Oh, what a head ache.'

One entry was book marked, strangely enough, like senmon had just finished reading it. It was a familiar entry, one she had spilled her heart and soul into the day the worst fathomable calamite occurred, the last ever to be written. And there, at the very bottom next to her inner confession to the lost boy she loved, was a response.

_Dear d-diary,_

_Ken is dead. My body aches so badly at the realization, the undeniable truth the others keep telling me is true. Who could survive such an explosion? We barely made it out alive, and nothing but scattered data remains of those lost in the fires, the collapse of debris, the ash of the digimon emperors base. Its all gone, the evil, the threat, yet...my heart screams of its shredding agony. Ken... if only I had reached you sooner. You'd be alive, you'd be safe. I could have told you my secrets, I could have redeemed your sins and cleansed your soul. If only you had known friendship and happiness. I could have given you these things, but I didn't, not ever will you know my one true feeling for you. Beyond that hateful, hurtful glare of yours, I just wanted to tell you..._

_I love you._

_**I love you too.**_

"No... way." Ramming her palm to shield her mouth, she thus choked on a sob tearing her insides to gain freedom. "H-how? He's dead. D-d-dead." She turned to re-read that response, questioning her sanity. How did Ken write that? How did he find the diary in the first place? Had he been reading it the moment she started to post the secrets of a love sick girl, and were those his last thoughts, to answer a confession? Were those his true feelings also, as hidden and forbidden to him as it was for her?

Yolie nearly lost her footing, legs giving way to denial. The world seemed to fall into a timeless dimension, one that held the struggling girl in it's icy grasp until all the life and color drained. Only her wandering mind was allowed to travel, seeking the answers she desired to know what the hell was going on.

'It... it makes sense.' Yolie began informing herself, batting her lashes until the tears spilled from their prisons. 'the Donkey Bango desk top, the soccer play... his hate for Davis. Senmon is... no. NO! That's impossible.' The girl shook her head, clenching both hands to the side's to drown out that possibility.

Never in a million years. It wasn't possible. 'He's...' The reason he tore up the picture of Ken, the hatred for the digimon emperor, the cause for all the portals to close and the death of those that could oppose him, it was all because he was... "Ken." Yolie sat on her knee's, face warped into betrayal, form quivering from the undeniable truth. 'That's why you kept me here, because I couldn't save you.' Her voice was hardly a whisper, snapping from the hiccups rising vengefully up her throat.

'You wanted the digital world, but I was just an problem needing to be disposed of. The dark stuff gave birth to you're demon.' The padding of swift feet caught her attention, spinning her focus from the tear puddle on the floor to the creature that had caught the curious human girl in the act. Yolie didn't care if senmon knew what she was up too, or that he could hear her thoughts screamed into the eternal recessed of her mind. Senmon stood at the control rooms entry, body rigid, eyes fixed on the slumped over woman.

She had found him out.

Instead of the rage he should have held, senmon only felt terror for what she had done. His heart bounced unryhthmicly, pounding the pulse into his ears as he retracted in silence. He was afraid. Afraid of the things her leaking eyes alone told. The invisible thread that had pulled the angel towards her moan yanked viscously on his heart, forcing senmon to swallow the hard lump forming in his throat.

"You... how could you?" Yolie whispered, another fat tear rolled down her cheek, not only for the lies he had woven, but for the imprisonment of her dearest friends. The digimon took another step back, clasping his wings tightly around himself for protection. Bowing his head solemnly, he was never granted a chance to respond.

"All the lies, you never even told me who you were! You just led me to believe what ever you wanted, tormenting me for you're own sick delight! Did you think it was funny? Did you laugh at me when I left you're room, degraded to hide things you already knew!" The angel flinched at every scream she threw out, dropping his head lower and lower from shame.

"And my friends." She didn't even have to go into details, he knew what she meant since she had found the files. It was only natural to check on the one's you love first. To think of all the tears shed for those he had absorbed and murdered, their partners forever in mourning as she would be if he had mercilessly killed hawkmon in cold blood.

Yolie found her footing, standing defiantly as he neglected to lift his gaze from the floor. He was caught, and she was not going to let him get away with it either. Standing directly in front of her master, the girl reared back and slapped his downcast face with all the force she could muster, though it stung her hand savagely to do so. "I hate you." She bit out, twirling to leave his presence before it sickened her to death.

She despised the dark one, torn down the middle for the deceit of one and the love of another... if that one even existed now. All those years, of guilt and pain, he never even attempted to leave a clue that he was still alive. He never considered to ease her heart ache, or lend a helping hand when she had fallen into a mental break down two years ago. Senmon just reopened the festering wounds, ripping her feelings out to toy with in childish glee... like he had done when they crossed each other's paths before.

Senmon brought one hand up to stroke the struck cheek, his cold flesh losing any warmth thanks to her condemning statement. He turned to see her back, angered she had found the gull to strike him. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" Swinging back around, Yolie stormed over to the one she loathed, fist's clenched at such a thing said. "You were trying to cover you're own ass, that's what you were trying to do! You thought I wouldn't figure it out? The coincidences? The mind games? That's all you ever thought about when you just... just... just get away from me!" Again she slapped his face, ready to take another swat for a good three until he caught her hand.

"Stop this Yolie. I never meant it to go this far. I never meant to fall in lo... " Yolie went to yank her hand out of his, struggling for all she was worth for release, yet he never lessoned his hold, restraining her the best he could by pulling her into his wings. Smashing her body with his, the dark angel embraced the fighting female with all his heart, holding tighter when she refused to forfeit. "Don't touch me! Get away!"

She was so distraught, so vulnerable in his arms. Closing his wings around them, senmon refused such retreat. He had promised never to let her go, and he planned to hold to that no matter if she excepted it or not. Senmon was never going to release her, not after all he felt, the discovered things that only a lonely monster could carry. She was HIS. Yolie had promised to stay, she had willingly agreed to remain in his keep. _'I won't let you go. I can't. Please understand me.'_

Yolie understood alright. She understood his selfish nature behind that angel mask, the pedestal she had long ago set him upon was nothing more than her own delusion of a kind and caring person. He was a deceiver, a demon. Pushing roughly on his chest, the girl managed a small space to separate them.

"Let me go."

"No!"

"Please, just let me go."

Senmon shook his head in silence, staring down at the destroyed individual locked against him. He bit his lip fiercely at the sight of her desperation, barely able to hold down the wince he felt from Yolie's rejection, 'I can't do this, not to her. She deserves freedom. She deserves happiness. I... I can't keep her here against her will any more.'

Slowly, the dark one lowered his arms so she may flee. His chest ached, soar and heaving as she ran. It took Yolie no time to make herself scarce, vanishing into the fingers of night like an escaping cherub, leaving the dark angel to drown in misery.

He could still feel the warmth of her on his body, smell the salt from her tears. She knew. Yolie had undug the thing he most regretted, the reason for his exile from civilization. He was a freak, a beast, a monster that was only capable of destruction. It was what his heart had always been, what his soul was now, inside and out. It was no wonder others ran in fear, wishing to escape. But none of the their rejection stung as savagely as Yolie's.

'I was a fool... to ever think she could love a monster.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yolie flew down the staircase, the tears falling behind her as she leapt over wormmon and cocomon sitting on the steps. "Yolie, where are you going?" Wormmon called, distress thick in his voice. He had been down in the dungeons with senmon only moments ago, tracing the tracks of some escaped experiments when his master all of a sudden disappeared into the upper levels of the castle without so much as an acidic insult.

Landing on the ground, and sprinting to the large entrance doors, Yolie didn't even look behind as she twisted the doors open, "Promise or no promise, I can't stay here any longer." The watching digimon exchanged shocked expressions, cocomon reaching out to stop the girl, "No, you can't. You're our only..." Yolie was gone, slamming the door behind herself in haste, ".. hope." The brown bunny drooped her ears, falling into wormmon teary eyed.

Once she had exited that death trap, the human girl fled into the open field, adrenaline coursing in hardy amounts. She didn't care where she was going, didn't look to see if anyone followed behind. All's she wanted was to escape.

It was so dark out, leaving nothing for Yolie to work with as she stumbled every so often from the remaining rocks. Her kimono was ripping down at the bottom and knees, tangling with rose bushes planted here and there. And yet, she never cared.

After the energy began to wane, Yolie fell face first into the grass, unknowing how far she had placed distance between her and the creature that promised only deceit. Yolie didn't push up, breaking down where she lay, her face buried in her arms to hide the overwhelming tears.

"He's so cruel." She moaned in the air, scrunching into a fetal position to hold down the earthquake inside. A tidal wave of sorrow washed over the girl, rinsing the dirt from her distorted face and soaked her sleeves until the cold of the liquid began to seep into her bones. Where would she go now? Who could she trust? And most importantly, how was she going to escape senmon and his evils? He was the type that never relinquished the objects they had gained, and Yolie was defiantly an object for his amusement, a play thing he kept under lock and key.

'All those things he said, they were just a means to keep me here. And to think... I almost... cared for him.' A growl came from somewhere bout's the darkness, followed by a high pitched laughter. "I knew I's smelled something tasty."

Jerking her head up, Yolie searched the area to identify the culprit behind that scratchy voice. It wasn't anyone she recognized, nor someone she wanted to become acquainted with either. 'The digital world, I forgot about it's dangers.' Yolie berated herself as the shuffling was wilder, louder, closer.

The hairs on her neck stood, the appearance of a doe caught in headlights fit her at this moment as she surveyed the surroundings again. Still, she was unable to pierce her sights through the shear blackness. The only light came from the stars above, and the orange eyes ahead. It was terrifying, grotesque as the ungodly body slowly fizzled into appearance.

The clouds began to inch away from the full moon, casting a ghostly glow upon the ground, revealing the hidden death staring Yolie down with school boy glee. It was a devimon, twisted and deformed for what ever experiments senmon had done to him. The look in his eyes was cold, malicious, seeking psychotic vengeance on all living creatures, innocent or not.

Gasping, the human girl held up her head from shock, trying to display a confident look despite her reaction. "L-leave me alone." It was too bad her voice shook so noticeably. This unholy creature was one she had passed in the dungeons, the one that had screamed the loudest to take pleasure devouring her blood.

The thing laughed diabolically in it's throat, it's sound like bones grinding against hard gravel. 'That terrible sound.' Yolie furrowed her brow, squinting into the night as it's teeth glistened from a previous kill.

"Something wicked this way comes." The rogue digimon lunged forward, narrowing it's pupils to feral slits. She could feel it's foul breath, nearly imagine it's claws and teeth ripping into her flesh by the chunks as it would lavished in a pool of her blood. Yolie gave a shrill shriek, falling backwards in a ball to await death. She had no energy to fight this thing off, no partner to protect her either. Yolie was utterly alone, sheet white, ready to meet her maker. 'This is it. This is how I finally find peace.'

Falling over in defeat, Yolie took in her last breath, lids shut to feel the slash... then nothing at all. "Don't touch her!" The voice boomed from the clouds, rumbling down until the attacking devimon screeched in unraveling pain. It flopped on it's sides back and forth, screaming in misery while small puddles of data began to lift into the air. Another flash fell from the heavens, piercing the devimon's legs until those slowly began to disappeared.

"You bastard!" It screamed, twitching in rage. Yolie opened her eyes in bewilderment, shaking from head to toe as the creature wiggled around in place, gargling and vengeful to still destroy her. "Stay away." Yolie urged, scooting further from it's jagged clutches. The devimon sneered at the frantic gleam in her eyes, pulling himself closer until he was nearly in range to strike.

"I said don't touch her!" Senmon fell onto it's gaping back, ramming his talon feet into the festering wound. It gave another sound of agony, one that was very close to when she had been in the dungeons. More data sprayed into the air, yet the abomination struggled to take her down with it, kicking and screaming into the pits of digital hell. (As if a digital hell existed. It might, I know not of these things and don't plan to visit it if so.)

Senmon held his hands together in front of him, pulling them apart so that a long gothic sword now became visible. Just when the devimon opened his palm to send an attack, the dark angel severed it from the wrist. Digital blood splattered on the open ground, oozing out to nearly touch Yolie's feet. She pulled away instantly, scrambling to find footing and run from this horrific scene. She didn't know what was worse, the devimon trying to kill her or the mutilation senmon performed with out so much as a grimace.

No way was she staying to see how this ended, to be caught by the dark one again for further mistreatment. "Yolie, don't!" Senmon called after her, but the shadows had already closed in. The hidden insane others waited patiently for the prey to come to them, patient for the coppery taste of blood soon to be on their tongues.

Yolie's eyes grew in fright, gasping when another escaped experiment sprung upon her already exhausted body. Screaming as the claws sunk into her shoulder, Yolie pushed it away, biting down the agony possessing her right mind. 'Could this day possibly gat any worse?'

She had to keep running, to escape. That was the only thing processed right now, the only truth she knew. Her feet twisted around each other, forcing the girl to plummet into the ground with a sickening thud.

Senmon skewered the one to attack her with his sword, blind rage possessing his actions at seeing her blood. Jamming the weapon deeper into it's rupturing organs, the dark angel wasn't satisfied until its flesh parted to spill the inner contents on the ground. Steam lifted from the data, scattered upon the ground as another hurled itself onto senmon's back, it's war cry splitting as it viciously lashed into his wings, sending the ebony feathers to fly and plummet to the ground by the handfuls.

Spinning in place, the dark angel managed to toss it onto another assailant, forming attacks to chuck while fluently swapping at the closest ones, making them only crumbling data strands in one blow each. It appeared all of the escaped psychotics had been lying in wait, foaming at the mouth to get a piece of the girl that had been given a freedom they never knew. They knew they held not a ghost of a chance with the reason behind their pain, but to kill the girl along with them... that would show him.

Senmon heaved after the last foe fell limp, leaning heavily on his sword as he stood drowsily to gaze at Yolie's terrified face.

He turned away, knowing what she thought of him, it was evident in her terrified eyes. He knew what she felt towards the abominations he had created... only to mercilessly destroy. "Oh my God." Was all the human muttered, hand held to her mouth knowing what those things were, what they had been, and to know who made them that way for his own disposal. And just like that, he had killed them with hardly any scratch or pity.

The forgotten devimon began lapping at his wounds, absorbing the data senmon had allowed to dissolve away. It's laughter rang high in the quietness between the two, gargled but growing in intensity. "Now I can take you down to hell with me!" It unleashed it's building assault, pointed at not the one that had tormented it but the girl that had been the favorite.

Immediately, senmon charged towards Yolie. His heart nearly stopped as she just stood there, unable to move, unwilling to command her legs to function. "NO!"

The explosion tore up the field, leaving a large crater to eat into the flower filled gift. It had been a kamikaze approach, destroying the devimon in the blast. Yolie had shut her eyes before the explosion, stiff and winded when a heavy load crushed her to the ground.

Feathers brushed against her face, rough and course as she lifted her gaze to the creature on top of her. Senmon was rigid, eyes clenched tightly shut in increasing pain. His feathers were singed, melted to his flesh... at least, the flesh that remained. Fat droplets of red leaked from his lids, leaking down until they fell onto Yolie's cold cheek.

He gasped for breath, but the sound only caused the girl to jerk in fear. Sliding out from under him, Yolie held her injured shoulder, unbelieving of the destruction littered around them. Shakily, senmon pushed off the ground with the remaining strength he held, unable to force his wings to move on his own accord. "Are you... alright?" He moaned, watching the way Yolie pushed away from his form. She was afraid, with good reason.

Senmon had just taken an attack that would have killed any other digimon instantly, not to mention her. And he was bleeding black blood... without data. "What are you?" A wetness began to slink past her fingers, dripping down until a small pool sank into the soft soil. Yolie hesitantly brought her hand up, observing the red fluid staining it. 'This isn't good.' She didn't want to see the actual injury, knowing by the way it felt it wasn't good at all.

Three deep slashes dribbled with more ribbons of crimson, causing a gagging reflexes to snake it's way into her system. A fog fell over her eyes, the warmth seeped into the ground by each drop lost. Yolie felt numb, sleepy, cold. The after shocks began to claim her body, a dark curtain fell over her vision.

Drooping her eyes, the last Yolie remembered was a dark shadow to envelop her into it's strength and the distant voice of Ken to whisper his echoing apology, "Forgive me."


	12. Through eyes and lies

**vixon: well, what can i say. this story is good and is finally coming to an end. i'm guessing about three to four more chapters and this baby will be wrapped up. **

**_"Through eyes and lies"_**

She bolted from her spot, kicking herself once the pain shot up her arm and through her back. "That wasn't smart." Yolie grumbled, clutching a hand to the bandaged lacerations. 'Damn damn damn damn!' She groaned again, forcing her legs to swing out of the bed. Glancing all about the familiar setting, her expression turned from agony to confusion. 'How did I get here?'

"Senmon." The realization hit her immediately, what else explained it? Yolie wanted to mangle his body with her bare hands, to make him know she wasn't going to fall into his little strategy, what ever that may be, any longer. She was her own person, and be damned if she was going to relent for anything. He had fooled everyone with his death, now she was going to make it known that the evil was never really destroyed. Hell, she'd be first in line to kick his sorry ass into the next seven years.

"You'd at least think he'd drop me a post card all those years ago." Another violent jolt of pain ran through her body, trembling Yolie down to her core. Gasping for breath, the girl chewed it down, headed towards the door. She wasn't staying here for very long, if that's what her creepy deceiving 'master' had planned.

As she circled around her bed, a slippery wetness clung to the bottom of her foot. "What the?" Lifting it up, her eyes fixed on the deep blackness dripping from her sole. Automatically, Yolie followed the dark sticky puddles, astounded when it lead from her chamber down to the even more formidable halls. She obviously wasn't out of it for very long, the night was still in full swing with hours to spare.

Yolie crept down the silent castle, following the familiar direction it seemed to be pointing. Once she reached senmon's doors, her heart began to turn, along with her empty stomach. Swallowing her apprehension, the girl pushed through, still spotting the thick trail carrying on into the next conjoined apartment. The same one senmon had hidden behind this morning.

The tall door's were parted just a crack, Yolie blindly inching herself inside undiscouraged. It took only a few seconds to adjust to the deep darkness, but she managed somehow, scouring the area for the creature behind the blood. There, tucked away in the farthest corner, sat her master, hunched over against the wall, head bent in sleep. Yolie padded her feet over to him, kneeling in horror to find blood seeping into her p.j. pant leg.

"Senmon?" Yolie shook him, gaining no response. Worry bubbled up inside when he didn't move, his chest barely rising in breath. "Ken... wake up." A soft groan spilled forth, eating into her heart as the angel slowly brought his bobbing head up to meet her.

"What... are you doing in here?" His sights snapped to her blood stained bandages, forcing a growl to plunder his lips, "Get back in bed before you bleed to death."

"You mean like you?" She pointed out his growing dark ocean, with him to only snort and turn his face weakly away. "It's nothing."

"Nothing! You mean sitting here like a bruised terd is nothing! Why don't you get someone to help you?"

"I don't need it!" Senmon snapped out, raising his hand wobbly to push her away. But he quickly retracted the open hand, refusing to place any form of touch onto Yolies body. He had done enough damage, so there was really no need to make it worse. 'Knowing me, I'd just rip the stitches out and force her to go into cardiac.'

Yolie stared him down defiantly, jaw firm, "You need to get off the floor and into bed."

"Why? I figure you'd want me dead since you love me so much." Senmon smirked at the less then humorous thought, bringing one wing up to blanket over his shoulder. "That's not even funny." Yolie crossed her arms, noticing the lack of feathers in many spots, torn or burned away.

After neither said anything with that remark, the girl bent down to inspect his broken wing. "It's really busted."

"Thank you Ms. Points-out-the-obvious."

"There's no need to get snippy with me."

Senmon lashed a dismissing glare onto her, motioning with his good steady hand to the wounds, "If you hadn't been so damn nosey, THIS wouldn't have happened!"

Yolie went on the defense, holding her fist's close to her outraged face, "If you hadn't have lied to me all this time, I wouldn't have run out into the clutches of those things YOU made!"

Senmon held a finger up, mouth open to protest. But... damn it, she got strait to the point. And how was he supposed to argue with that! "Well... er... you... you..." 'Nice come back destroyer of worlds.' Senmon turned away, fussing over the matter that their wasn't much to say after that. "You weren't supposed to find out."

"And why's that? Afraid I couldn't handle the truth?"

He gave her a sideward glance, as if saying 'now really?' "Oh, no, I thought you handled it wonderfully." Sarcasm was obviously his native tongue.

Yolie sighed out her frustration, finding that they would be going around in circles if they kept this up. "Ken.. "

"Don't call me that." It was a growl that held nothing less than disgust. Yolie brought her misty orbs up to meet his hardened face, extending a hand to his furrowed brows. He looked so rough on the outside, hiding the lonely person masterfully from an observing onlooker. Yet she saw it. She found the soft spots, caressing his fallen bangs from his stern glare.

"If you had been honest with me, either way back then or even when I came back to the digital world, I wouldn't have been so angry with you, just relieved."

Senmon pushed her hand away from his hair, hissing at the loving touch he didn't deserve, "You wouldn't have felt the same way for me. Admit it."

Instead, Yolie only helped her fallen hero from his spot, trying to get him to the bed and away from the stained wall. She had to see the extent of the damage done, though it seemed the more he talked the stronger his voice became. Senmon clenched both eyes tightly shut, nearly collapsing when the air was ripped from his lungs to stand. "I was fine in the corner."

"You were bleeding in the cold corner, with germs having a smorgasbord with your immune system."

"I can live with that." The angel tried so tediously to place a fake front of sarcasm up, but it quivered like his voice. Yolie forced the digimon to sit on his round bed as she pulled the soiled bandages away, her expression not pleasant on the burns and gashes. "Stay here, I'm gonna get a bowl and cloth." In no time Yolie retrieved the said items, with senmon pointing out the extra roll of gauze in his nightstand.

"You really need wormmon to come in here and take care of this for you."

"Pleeee. I'm not getting him up here so he can play mommy with me." Yolie rolled her eyes at his childishness. "You could at least have tried to take care of this yourself instead of sitting there snoring."

"I don't snore!"

"How do you know, are you awake to hear yourself?" Yolie giggle when he just grumbled to himself, folding his arms over his chest.

"Stop being a pain and just fix me up already." The girl dipped the cloth lightly over his wounds, forcing the dark angel to yell out his pain in one loud curse word. (Can you guess what it is? I'll give you a hint, it begins with the letter F.) The noise vibrated the entire foundation, leaking down to awaken the other servants.

"That hurts!" Semon began to stand up, but Yolie yanked him back down, pressing the wet towel onto the bleeding flesh again. "Of course it hurts, you let it get infected. So sit down," She dug her fingers into his nape, "and shut up."

Once he hunched his shoulders, Yolie dipped the cloth into the water and began to ring it out, "This is gonna hurt again." She warned, receiving no form of a response. Gritting his teeth, Yolie only heard his sharp intake of breath and nothing more. 'Nice taking it like a man.'

_'Hush up. You try having a hole in you're back.'_

Yolie smiled fondly at his telepathic wave link. It was almost calming since she had taught herself to familiarize with it. Her dabs were becoming gentle, wiping away the crusted blood, along with the freshly spilt. Now she could make out the severity of the actual injury, sighing when the gash stretched out from his hair line to his lower waist. It almost resembled a star shape, most likely scarring once it healed.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Senmon informed, relaxing his burnt wings on both side's of the concerned girl. "Yeah, I guess you do look pretty good for someone that just survived an explosion. Thanks... for shielding me and all. It must hurt like hell."

The dark angel took in a small pocket of air, turning his gaze over his shoulder. She had thanked him, after all they had been through. "Y-your welcome." When she took the roll of bandages up, senmon held her hand in his, stopping her there for a moment. "It's already beginning to heal on it's own, so I can do this myself."

"But I want to help." Yolie protested, tugging on the roll. "Just let me this one time. You don't have to be the biker bad ass right now. There's no one here you can impress." A twinkle shone from his eyes, but he just gave an unseen smile and allowed her to do as she wished. Yolie wouldn't be swayed when she sat her mind to it.

After she was finished going around his body, Yolie sat beside him in splitting silence while he thought. It was funny, she mused, after all that battling, his mask still remained obediently in place, covering his face like usual. Senmon felt the stare, the one thought she held at this moment towards the one that had saved her life. "No."

"No what? I didn't even say anything."

The angel held a sweat droplet on the side of his head, "I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no."

"Pretty please. I won't tell. Come on, Ken, be a sport." He growled down at the meek human, ear wings twittering in annoyance. "I don't want you to see. How hard is that to understand?"

"Excruciatingly," she stated hotly, "I doubt you look any different."

"HA!" Senmon pushed her aside, flopping stomach down on his bed, "I look how I feel." He crawled to set his head on the pillows, snuggling up into them to finally find sleep in two days. This didn't detour Yolie any, she pulled a loose strand of hair from her vision, beaming down at the angel trying to brush her off. "I think you should stop getting all moody about the way you look. You have wings, be happy. Most people would love to have those."

"They can have them." The mumbles were slightly drowned out by the pillows, senmon not even attempting to pull his covers up. "You know, if you let me have a look at your face, I could be judge if what you say is true or not."

He laughed lightly, eyes shut, ready to fall into a coma like slumber any minute now, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Is it those scars your worried about? They didn't feel that bad when you took advantage of me the first night."

"I didn't take advantage!" (Oh yes he did.) Senmon spun his head to face her, watching the way she just settled right on the edge of the mattress, sitting near a cursed tyrant as if it was the most natural thing in the two worlds. "Well... it didn't hurt anyone."

"You made my lips swell." She made a trickle of sweat run down his brow, senmon's eyes growing wide in this new bit of information. "I-it was my first time, I'm not a freakin pro okay. You should have told me earlier."

"When? Before, during, or after you had your lips locked on mine?" Senmon gulped, burying his face into the pillows case, "Just leave me alone." He moaned pathetically, causing the girl to smirk triumphantly. Her smile wavered though, at the memory of such a passionate kiss. And the scar. Her finger tips hadn't lied about that age old wound, being deep and long from the morning she had seen it closer.

"Did it hurt? When you got that one scar on the right?"

"Like hell."

"How did you...?" She didn't get to ask the entire question, noticing his hands grip the pillow in a restricting death grip. "When the base exploded."

It was obvious he loathed that memorance, wanting to run from it any way possible. Senmon felt her curiousness spike, inward questions filling her mind as she searched for when it had occurred.

"It was when... I transformed. You were going to jump, I couldn't let you die. Not because of MY worthless ass." The grip tightened, shredding the fabric with a shrieking rip. "You were the only one that wanted me to live, you were the only one that gave a damn about me. I couldn't let you jump... or see me fall." Yolie heard the quiet sobs, the things he must be reliving as the story unfolded. And still she remained hushed so he may finish, to tell his truest thoughts and emotions that had haunted him for the trying years.

"W-when I unleashed that fireball, the scrap metal from the door came and l-left me with this mark. Now, it's always there to remind me what I am, who I was... what I can never be." Yolie tucked her lower lip under her teeth, feeling his grief as his memories floated into her mind. He was projecting them so she may know, telling a story from a different point of view. Yolie even saw herself, struggling to reach him in the distance. The image of the door collapsing came into focus, then a sharp slicing pain cut into Yolie's right eye, drawing the glittering metal down, chewing it's way through paling skin.

Flinching from the illusions, the girl clasped a hand to her face, her mind had fooled itself into thinking the wetness was her own. But nothing was there when she looked, only a clean hand with no black blood to ooze down her face. The imaginary injury deluded into nothing, leaving her to quickly shake the feeling aside once eyes opened. Was that what it felt like? Was that the reason he hated his face so much?

Yolie leaned towards his still quivering body, finding the muscles tighten under her feathery finger tips. "Ken... it's alright now." He was holding his breath, knowing if he released it would be sharp and pathetic. "I understand now. You wanted to save me." The girl closed her eyes again, finding the same projected memory playing. Obviously there was more, and it frightened her to have the feeling of falling helplessly into darkness. That's all there was now, with the fading of the explosions above, and the closing of nothingness below.

She felt the impact with ground, hard and crushing when many things piled on top of the body. Yolie tried to scream, but the chest cavity was compacted from debris. No air filled the lungs, no sound fell into her ears but the grinding of metal rubbing down the walls to place a heavier burden on the body. Yolie could only feel one thing at this moment... tears. She was unsure if they were her own or the memories, leaving her to sniffle to think how alone he must have felt trapped there... for who knew how long until someone found him.

Ken must have thought he was dead, cast into purgatory for his sins. Or at least he prayed for it when nothing claimed his mind and soul. Yolie wanted the telepathic link to end. She had seen enough, felt it through his reliving the past. A tiny voice begged Ken to cease the images, but he continued. There was more... much more.

_A growing twisted Ken's form, collecting the strength from scattered data around himself to complete the transformation. He was disorientated, lost to unknown days, if not weeks, proclaimed dead. Only one need burned in the new creatures mind, pressing him to push the powers that be through his broken body. The darkness called to his heart, whispering haness things that promised sweetness in the end._

_An uprising consumed the boy, his claws scratching and tearing to fill his lungs, to dance in the sky, to cause those that had buried him alive to suffer. A burst of energy escaped his raw self, sparking the night sky into an array of hollow light. The grounded base gave way, flying into the air as the creature hurled himself from the junk, floating in mid air to collect his bearings._

Yolie felt the evil course inside, the hatred brim to the point of mutilating the first living creature it set upon. 'No, don't Ken.' Yolie begged, praying he didn't harm anyone in his time of revelation.

_The new digimon eventually recalled the burst of light, reabsorbing and recycling the energy used to break his imprisoned tomb. Settling down on the ground, Ken's feet gave out, nearly causing him to fall face first into the ground. Sharp objects ate into his bare feet, making him roar in pain. The sound caused the very ground to tremble, rocking from the dark creature's anger._

_Eventually, with great agony and control, Ken collected his sparse thoughts, drowsily bringing his fully transformed eyes up to gaze across the dieing night. It was amazing, the new sensations he felt, the things he saw in utter darkness once all fell quiet again, the world that had thrown him aside to regret it later. _

The memory carried on, Yolie inhaling shallow breaths to see what he did, know he wasn't what all the other cowering digimon whispered. He wasn't like that, Ken couldn't be.

_The illusion swept forth, to when the sun began to break over the horizon, leaving the dark angel to hiss as he shielded his sensitive eyes. The wounds he had received on the bottom of his feet had healed miraculously during his immobile state. It appeared that Ken had sat there, in that one spot all night, thinking._

_The bones inside had readjusted, sense's became more acute. Crawling on his hands and knee's, Ken moved away from the condemning light, digging a cave from the remaining junk that he had once called his base. A small sun burn spread over where the light had touched him, stinging when he moved and stretched the skin._

_Ken curled up in a ball of self pity, feeling the repulsive bile rise and fall in his throat. The dried blood from his face flaked away, mangled with his matted hair and... ' Wings?' Ken felt his ears, terrified when there was only feathers. He then noticed the cramped space due to a larger pair settled on his back. "Oh my God." Ken mouthed the words, digging his elongated claws into the metal he lay upon._

_What had he done? Sitting up, the boy wiped away dust and oil from the shiny metal, gasping at the creature staring back. 'No...' He thought distantly, scooting away from the thing that had to be none other than his reflection. "No." Shaking his head, the newly born digimon clasped his head in both hands, tears brimming on his lashes._

_'This can't be. It's not real, not real.' But it was, and deep down, Ken knew this. He knew what caused the deformities, making him an abomination to either world. It was his fault for this and no one else's. He had no one to point the finger at, no one else but himself to take the cruel blame. 'I'm a freak!' Then again, hadn't he always been one? Now it was just made known, he couldn't hide his nature behind an angelic mask._

_Ken's frown deepened, with the red tears to tumble down in never ending streams. He had lost... everything. No longer was he welcomed at home, his parents would never understand, society would never except him. This was not how he planned things to turn out, 'I'm... a monster!'_

_"NO!" The creature wailed, howling his misery into the world. Sparks left his body, the scream calling forth and unleashing the building emotions in a wave of destruction. Only a few minutes went by, with Ken trapped in his own tormenting thoughts after the echoes died and the small cave that had been demolished came back together on his mental call. The silence closed a cruel hand over his throat, choking down the painful sobs, until a familiar face popped into focus. _

_"Ken?" The trebly voice came from his partner, eyes glazing. "Ken!" The caterpillar had heard the scream, seen the explosion that followed the mourning voice. His partner was in trouble, not to mention alive after days of searching for him. Charging into the small dark opening, wormmon smiled through the grief for his friends safety._

_But the worm halted once a foreign pair of glowing red eyes met him on the other side of that cave, piercing into the insect a fear that he had never felt before. Not even when he faced the wrath of the digimon emperor. Wormmon began to back away, turning white to know this was not who he had first thought it to be. _

_The other creature called out, sad and small from the farthest reaches of the shadows, wanting to hide so nothing could see his sin... yet begged for compassion and a familiar touch. For companionship._

_"W-worm... mon?" Ken sniffled, lowering his hands from his face to see his loyal friend. 'Don't run. Please don't leave me.'_

_The bug's mouth hung, slowly approaching the boy's voice with caution. Wormmon came only a breath away, head in subordinance but focus on the glazed over crimson orbs. "It... is you." The sadness in those eyes told him so. Wormmon went to touch his partner but Ken jerked away, afraid of himself. "No! Don't touch me." He barked, more concern for wormmon than anything. He didn't know what he was capable of, or the damage he could invoke just yet._

_Flinching, wormmon awaited patiently at the exit, sitting there quietly for any further commands, if he had any at this time. For hours, they sat in silence, Ken wrapping himself in his arms and wormmon staring off into the ocean sky. "Is..." Ken began, wiping away the last of his tears, "the sun down yet?"_

_The insect nodded, turning back to know the reason behind Ken's awkwardness. "Are you alright?"_

_Ruffling his feathers, the boy gazed across to see the reflection. It was still hideous. "No. Why are you here?" The once booming voice that commanded an army had diminished to a lost sigh, like a small child in a world full of strangers. Wormmon just tilted his head, as if there wasn't an obvious answer already, "I couldn't leave you. I knew you weren't dead, I just knew it."_

_Ken kicked himself mentally, dropping his head down in guilt. "You should have left me a long time ago. You're stupidity astounds me." That sounded more like the emperor talking, yet he was no longer even that. Wormmon came closer, despite if his master forbid it. "I'm you're partner, no matter what. Through thick and thin, the good times and bad they say."_

_Ken began to chuckle, mostly to himself, "It just got bad my friend, really bad." The glow in his eyes flashed at the now sniveling larvae, with Ken to crawl his way out into the fading light. Wormmon soundly gasped, shocked and sheet white. This was impossible, disturbing in a way. Yet the digimon remained silent, keeping his opinion's locked away unless unleash something ungodly._

_Standing out in the open, Ken took a look around, smirking at the land he had once claimed as his own. A spark ran up his fingers, pulsing until it burst into a hungry flame that danced upon his open palm. He marveled at the discovered ability, rolling it back and forth on the back of his hand. _

_"W-what happened to you?" Wormmon finally voiced his question, shivering until the perspiration drained him of color. "What do you think?" Ken crushed the fire with his hand, snuffing it out so the light cast on his face was extinguished. "I became the ruler of this land."_

Yolie opened her eyes, not wanting to see any more. She didn't think she could stomach watching how he had gotten this far, the deeds he must have committed, the digimon he vanquished if not for vengeance than for pure satisfaction or spite. Bringing her sights to glower on Ken's back, Yolie only sighed deeply.

This was who he was. Whether she believed it or not, he was a lot of things compiled into one. Gentle and tender one way, hard and cruel the other. 'If only you could embrace that better side of yours.' Yolie began to stroke his closest wing, astonished to discover new layers of feathers sprouting out underneath the damaged one's. "So are you happy this way?" She whispered, still clinging to the hope he wasn't always heartless.

Ken didn't answer, nearly making Yolie think he had fallen asleep during that display of the past. But he soon scrunched his shoulders the best his body would allow, turning a red eye towards her placid features. "I don't know what happiness is." Yolie allowed her sights to fall on his pillow, taken back by the large stain over it's once silky gray case. It looked like someone had just spilt a small bucket of red paint on it, and still she stared.

After neither went to comment, Yolie just stretched out to stroke his ear wing, knowing it soothed him. He purred contently, nuzzling like a cat would when given attention. Yolie laid back, keeping her wounded shoulder from being bumped by a clumsy hand. "I think we just need to try harder than."

"You're not mad at me anymore? You don't... hate me? What about the things I've done to you, the life I've taken?"

Yolie batted her doe like lashes in his direction, snuggling up to her dark knight while looping his fingers with hers. "I don't get mad, I get even." Ken didn't like the sound of that, but he just strained his body to lie on his side, watching the way she teased his ear feathers. A smile broke to his eyes, lifting the smoky haze from them. "Can I have a spankin?"

"Can you stop thinking dirty thoughts?" She teased back, cuddling under his blankets. She loved the smell of his pillows, the manly scent that covered everything around her. Once the angel followed her actions, he wrapped a careful arm around her waist, possessing the tenderness of a lamb. It made the girl wonder how he could be so ruthless at times. Why did he find it necessary to hide the true person he was, the generous, funny puppy that made Yolie's heart melt?

Perhaps... he was only generous with her. She found the weakness in his inner walls, chiseling away in a place no one else could pierce. She was also the only one to tame the inner demon, soothing it with her touch, enchanting it with her words, breaking it's wildness to make it riddled with blind bliss.

Yolie had captured the monsters heart.

The girl closed her eyes, smiling graciously. His breath was so warm, brushing her bangs as it became even and deep. Yolie rubbed her cheek into the soft pillows, wafting in that spicy scent that was the same as him... the same as when he was human. It was alluring, tantalizing and dominate. She blinked to steal a glance at Ken one last time before she slept, only to blush once realizing he too watched her.

"Ah, what are you strain at?"

Ken held the same red tint over his nose and upper cheeks, making the dark circles around his eyes a little less noticeable. "My sweet." He whispered, receiving the girl in his arms to lift a delinquent hand up, tracing the scar stretching from his brow. It instantly became her favorite part, locking the knowledge in her heart. 'You really do care.'

_'I always have.'_

The dark angel kept both eyes closed, taking in the feel of her stroking the softness. God he loved it. He lavished in her touch, a melting pile of puddy in her hands. Ken's grip on her tightened just a little, enough he pulled her closer to himself, wary of the injured shoulder. He could get lost in this emotion, this winding excitement that fluttered in his chest. To hell if he was cursed with human emotions, they were what made him feel alive. They were what made Yolie happy.

It had been so long, too long to know what a caressing touch felt like. To have someone embrace you with a full heart and nothing more. Had he ever known it? Ken twisted his head up, kissing the center of her palm through the scarf fabric. They settled down with whimsy unspoken dreams, bringing both their noses together until nearly brushing.

"You wouldn't take advantage of a poor helpless little digidestined now would you?" Yolie grinned from ear to ear, sleepily trying to sound innocent. Ken just squinted his eyes, smirking at such a suggestion, "I don't see any helpless destined, do you?" A question for a question. The angel draped his healing wing over the both of them, entombing them in a feathery blanket.

"I'll be a gentleman."

"You better, or very nasty thoughts will plague you in you're dreams."

They both just giggled, with the night seeming too short. In dreams they found happiness, knowing that once dawn broke, much greater things awaited. Hence, they made the best of the time they held each other.

_'But how long can I keep you by my side... until you hate me?'_


	13. you have too

**Vixon: hmmmmm, sorry for not updating. So much college stuff to do, so little time to write. I didn't like this chapter as much as the others, but it does have it's funny parts. I was originally going to try and write the party scene into this but it's long without the whole dancing and getting ready for the ball. So don't worry, the next chapter will be soon, now since I have a whole summer to write.**

**And thanks for all the reviews. I love them sooooo much it tickles. And don't worry your pretty little heads off, for I promise that the wait for the next chapter will be well worth it when I'm finished writing that baby. It will be so funny it will knock your pants off. **

**Ch12 _"You have too"_**

Yolie rotated her shoulder, grumbling at the soreness not only possessing her still bruised wrist but also in the slashes running up and down her back. A gentle hand halted her painful movements, squeezing to catch her attention, "You shouldn't do that, it's only been a day for it to heal." Ken sat a cup of tea next to her, sliding his fingers down the length of her arm, clasping her hand for a butterfly kiss.

"It isn't bad, not as deep as I thought." A blush crept up her neck, flowering out to her cheeks when Ken touched her like that. "I-I see you're already 100 percent better. Lucky. Think you can use that voodoo magic on me for a chance?"

Gulping, Ken diverted his eyes to the ground, watching the flowers around their picnic blanket. "I can't help anyone but myself." He sourly admitted, "I'm a creature of destruction, a dark angel. My powers would only hurt you."

Yolie gasped, somewhat believing all angelic digimon held at least one helpful ability for others, since they were, or once, celestial helpers.

"That's okay then, I'm used to the old fashion way of getting better anyways." She beamed a friendly smile towards her glum companion, noticing he appeared distant and forlorn because he couldn't help ease her pain.

Yolie scooted closer to the angel, rubbing his arm in a sweet caress. The contact sent a tremor through his system, always taking Ken's breath away whenever she willingly touched him. He had been so deprived of such pleasure's that it constantly shocked him when someone did brush up against his skin, jolting a feeling that became all too familiar each day with Yolie. The girl breathed a sigh of content, leaning against his broad shoulder.

It was always when she did this to him that Ken forgot who he was, what he was. Staring down at her soft curves, the angel once again became absorbed into the girl's beauty, grateful for her company.

The dark one had programmed this weather to be perfect, constantly placing her happiness above all else. Yolie was his main concern, and now that she had shown him what it is to be alive, she always would be. "Yolie?" The name was whispered so softly, brushing against her ears like the peaceful wind that blew through the tree they sat under. "Hmmm?" Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek against his bandaged skin, still looking as sweet and adorable as ever.

Her image caused Ken to lose his breath, his pulse fluttered rapidly like a caged animal within his chest. Twitching his wings nervously, he tilted his head, parting his dry lips to speak, "Are... are you happy here with me?"

"Of course." Yolie sat up, batting her lashes innocently. Joy radiated from the depths of her soul, shining out in a healthy glow that forced Ken to melt in his spot. But she obviously wasn't telling the absolute truth, it was evident when she turned her attention out into the expanding gardens. Ken bowed his head, trying to force her focus on him, "But...?" He asked, trembling to know the answer.

Yolie just swapped a hand up, waving aside the question. It wasn't any of his concern, she didn't want to be a downer on such a perfect day, with such a perfect moment that should never be wasted. Nuzzling the side of her head into his arm again, Yolie scrunched her shoulders when he continued, knowing he had poked into her thoughts to find what she refused to speak, "You miss your family... your friends."

"N-no... I mean, maybe. Yes. I do. Wouldn't you?"

The thought had hardly struck him, yet Ken eventually dipped his chin low, eyes solemn, brows pinched, "I once did." He brushed a hand through her long locks, making eye contact with the only one he truly cared for, "But they're doing fine without me, they've forgotten all about me now. I was never the one they wanted around anyways."

Yolie looked lost, taken aback and ready to protest to that. "My older brother was always my parents favorite, not I."

"That's not true, you're parents never stopped searching for you. And I know they never stopped loving you either, they would love you even as a half-digimon." She knew that was why he never made contact with them, why he only had old pictures of a past long ago, gray and forgotten. And for that same reason he buried the memories under piles of junk in the storage room so nothing and no one could see the treasure he lost.

Ken was afraid, as would anyone in his shoes, that his parents would abandon him for the consequences he had rote. Ashamed of his monstrosities, wanting to cloak himself in shadows darker than any natural night so none may see his cursed body.

"They do love you Ken, and miss you as well." She whispered, trying to at least give one comforting thought.

"No they don't."

Ken had drilled the falseness so deeply into his head of being unwanted that the truth didn't seem possible. The grains of truth hurt him, forcing the angel to snap out in a fed hatred. "Well," Yolie began, knowing he wasn't ready to face reality just yet, "I missed you."

He snorted, a half chuckle lying in the sound, "You're the only one."

"You're hard headed." Yolie lightly tapped his skull, smirking once his melancholy left from the harsh turn the conversation had taken. Ken pressed his skull into her palm, closing his eyes softly. Tears begged to spill from her sweet reassurances, choking his once authorities voice. He felt like such a worthless, cowardly child, seeking shelter from the only bastion he held too now. 'If anything were to happen to you Yolie... what would I do?'

His mind gently tapped into her thoughts, seeking out a loving memory that could sooth him. Perhaps one of his soccer games, or the times when he had the digi destined hanging from ropes awaiting untimely deaths. Yes, he could enjoy THOSE right about now. Yolie never realized why he remained so silent, drawn into himself.

She brought his head to her lap and began to stroke his ear feathers, ruffling loose strands of hair from his shut eyes. So tense, Ken was always so stiff in the muscles and careless with his health.

Squeezing his lids tight, Ken watched her memory of Christmas mornings, of nights out with Kari and her friends, of the painful days that followed his death. And then, when he was ready to return his attention to Yolie's soft nimble fingers, the conversation of a wedding popped into his mind.

_'You know how I feel about that. I cant even look at my digi-vice without the flood of memories over powering me, it took me nearly a year to touch a computer again.'_

"Yolie..."

_'But I'll try for you and Davis. Its high time I got over this fear, and what better way then telling the gang of a hitchin?' _

Ken bolted from her lap, heaving as he pushed away from her. "What is it?" Yolie was startled there for a moment, afraid he had fallen into a horrible nightmare. Heaving for air, the angel turned his sights away, a migraine pounding in his temples. He clenched a hand to his forehead, gasping for even breaths.

Extending her arm, Yolie felt awkward when he crawled away.

What was wrong? What did he see? She nerved her lower lip, eyes transfixed on Ken's shuddering frame.

"I," Ken began, wrapping his arms around himself, "I have to go." It disturbed her, the way he refused to look at her, the way he pulled away. It was a stinging sensation in the cradle of her chest that ached on his departure, growing heavier by his haste to desert her.

Without even glancing behind himself, the angel soared beyond the line of vision, flying through the cotton ball clouds, farther across the edge of sight. Where was he going? And why did his eyes look so... lost?

xxxxxxxxxxxx

It didn't take Yolie any time at all before she strolled back into the castle, wormmon scurrying next to her swift feet. "I don't get it wormmon."

The insect pulled his head up to stare at the girl, antennae swiveling around in confusion. Unlike Ken, wormmon wasn't any mind reader, and she wasn't looking into his eyes so that he may read the emotions playing across her thoughts. Though the bug had a faint idea where this conversation was headed.

"About what?"

"Ken. Oh, I-I mean senmon." How she wanted to kick herself for that slip up. Ken probably - no, definitely- wouldn't want anyone to know he had a human side to himself, a weaker side he might say. And he sure as hell wouldn't want word to spread of his awkward ancestry. Wouldn't that just ruin his hard earned reputation of being the devil himself?

The larvae merely chuckled, still right next to her as they headed for the kitchen. "It's okay, I already know." He boldly confessed.

"YOU WHAT!" With that admitted, Yolie spun around to take the little pasty green bug by his bandage antennas, swinging him up to her eye level to bestow a horrific scowl. "You knew all along and didn't tell me!" Wormmon squirmed with the painful grab, wiggling until the girl's facial expression softened. She bit her tongue once registering the small traces of pain in his body movements, cradling his tiny body in her arms after whispering soft apologies. "I'm sorry, I was just taken by surprise."

Stroking his head in a sympathetic manner, Yolie held him close in another silent apology. But wormmon just sighed in that understanding forgiveness, readjusting the bandages. "I'm fine, just please don't do that again. And yes, I knew. I'm the only one, besides you, with access to that knowledge."

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Wormmon gave her a queer look, "He would've skinned me alive if I blurted it out. And I don't like getting on his bad side. Besides, I knew a smart girl like you would figure it out sooner or later."

Yolie beamed at the compliment, yet still felt a tiny bit angry it took her so long to place the puzzle pieces together. Sighing, she continued down the hallway, almost reaching their destination.

"Why did he never try to contact me, or anyone else, if he was alive? Doesn't he know how devastating it was for a lot of people back at home?"

The questions struck the little digimon deeply, to hear the strained crack in her voice from hidden sorrow. Wormmon looked down to the tiled floor, "Perhaps he felt unwanted. That no one would notice."

"But I cared."

That made the insect smile, brightening towards the confession, "Yes, I know. I think deep down inside he knew it too. But when I first found him, as a digimon, he was so afraid. I think he didn't call you because... he didn't want to lose your love. Some how he figured that sad love is better than none at all."

"That hardly makes since." She snorted, uncaused.

"Well," he continued, "I don't think he'll ever admit it, but he knew, even back then, about these feelings. I'm not a mind reader like him, but I do remember when he was the digimon emperor. The many nights he would stare out into the open fields from his room window. He always looked so sad then, much like he did before you came along."

"Why didn't he say anything to his parents?"

"What would he have said? That he felt empty? That the digital world was only a prison for him? No. They wouldn't have understood. No one but another digi-destined would. Though, he does miss his old life dearly. He'll never admit to such things you know. But I think... he needs you a lot more than anything right now."

That made Yolie gulp nervously, so much pressure resting on her little shoulders. Did all the digimon think she could help? Why were they putting this heavy responsibility on her, enough that could crush someone with lesser nerves? It was almost to much to take in, she nearly lost her footing just contemplating the matter.

Finally discarding her distress with a laugh, Yolie managed to shake her head, squeezing her little buddy closer to her heart.

"I'll do my best and that's the best I can do wormy."

"That's the spirit."

A long silence filled the air between them, loaming in the deafening quiet that was Ken's abode. "So," Yolie began, fidgeting when her bandages started to chaff her under arms, "What's with the things down in... the dungeons?"

It was an uncomfortable topic, but one they both knew would come up sooner or later. And to wriggle the answers out of Ken seemed like a death wish neither anticipated.

Wormmon went very rigid, sweating in indecision. His master most surely didn't want Yolie to know everything that went on in this castle. If he did, then she wouldn't have the need to be asking the cowardly little servant now would she?

The insect lowered his head further solemnly, having to be jerked back into reality once Yolie pinched his little body. "Come on, it's just a simple question."

"No, it isn't. Ken won't like me telling. It will make you sad."

Yolie puffed up, coaxing him relentlessly like she usually did until he spilled it. He never could get away with eluding her questions, come hell or high water, she always managed to shrewdly weasel the truth out. Twisting his attention to rest dead in her glowering eyes, wormmon flinched when gazing into those inpatient chocolate orbs Yolie possessed. This was not a topic he enjoyed sharing, and she damn well knew it. 'Why am I such a sucker for pressing women?'

Straining his voice to be heard, "They were made to be his dark army in the beginning. B-but he found other uses for them."

"Like?"

Wormmon wetted his dry lips, choking on the word he knew was bound to crush her, "Food."

Roughly swallowing the lodged lump, that news instantly bleached the color from her cheeks, her sights glazing into a blank stare. The pupils narrowed onto wormmon's shameful face, but she couldn't find the voice to speak. It was like the sound completely eluded her senses, snapping in half, severing the conscience strings attached to reality. Her lips moved, but nothing spilled forth.

Wormmon immediately read the horror on her expression with crystal clear realization, continuing when she temporarily lost her courage.

"They are too hard to control, he found out, and thus left them to rot down there. Security is very tight, but not impossible to break. And when he feel's in the need for sport, or boredom over takes him, they become his unfortunate prey. All the years of learning to control his powers, he has practiced on them. Driving many to insanity."

Yolie gasped, thoroughly repulsed by Ken's misguided decisions and despicable actions.

She lost her footing soon after registering this, legs forming into a rubbery mess, much in the way as if they had never been put to use, rebelling and finally giving out. But wormmon held strong, quick to explain, this too, so her sanity would be spared, "But he hasn't done so in a very long time Miss Yolie." He added hastily, not wanting for all the hard work of bridging the two's heart together to be quickly burned away into fleeting ash.

"W-why? Why would h-he do that?" She was petrified, sitting in the hall, trying to collect her severed dignity.

Wormmon merely shook his head in sympathy, whispering lightly in his strained little voice, "He wanted power. How else than to create supreme level opponents and absorb their powers once he has had his fun." The insect's tone was weighed with much regret, to speak of such things to a delicate individual still vulnerable in this harsh world, "He's different now... you know that."

"How can you be sure?"

"He is." Wormmon tried to fake a smile, but it only crumbled when he noticed the fear in Yolie's face. She was trembling, terrified of the thoughts of Ken taking sadistic pleasure in the misery of others. Of the dark angel carelessly manipulating the innocent creatures in the digital world for his monstrous appetites.

'I should have kept my mouth shut.' Wormmon slapped himself mentally.

Sighing, the tiny digimon slid from her arms, noticing now how broken the human girl appeared with this added knowledge to haunt her. She was like a fading ghost, withering in appearance, unable to hear her name being called by the green larvae, "Yolie?" He had tried to gain a response about five times now, a deep sense of lose swelling inside from her hushed reaction.

She didn't respond at first, or for a long while, still staring off into a distant memory of senmon destroying those crazed experiments. Yolie's memory traced back to the beginning of all this, watching hawkmon barely surviving a battle from her families computer screen, and to the moment she last clutched her digital partner. Ken was so horrible.

"Yolie, he won't do that if you ask him not too."

It was like a cold slap stung her, reviving the defiant spark inside. A cold stare fell upon the one comforting, slicked with ice that no one had ever seen in her eyes before, "I shouldn't have to ask for that, wormmon. He should have enough of a conscience to KNOW not to do that. Hasn't he realized how much it hurts others, how much they suffer because of it? They're alive. You're alive. It's so wrong. Everything he does... " She trailed off there for a moment, clutching her throat as she choked on a sob.

Wormmon patted her knee, the highest he could reach from in this position, wishing to comfort her any way possible. "You are his conscience."

"B-but he left... to do who knows what to someone-"

"He wouldn't leave you without reason, that's for sure. But he knows how much you would hate him if he hurt someone, there for, he wont. Give him time Yolie, he has been through so much. If you were to look at him the way others do, with disgust and loathing, I don't know what might happen. What travesties might follow. Just remember that YOU hold the power to swing him back into the light. YOU can bring out the real Ken. YOU alone are the only one who can get him into a spitting rage and live to tell about it." He meant the last part as a jest, though it struck very close to home.

Trembling like a leaf, she hesitantly began to smile at that little joke. True, he had lost his temper at times, but still he had refrained from the deadly violence he was capable of. Minus the sprained hand that was healing quite nicely she might add.

"I guess you're right." Yolie timidly admitted. She twisted her sleeves nervously as she bowed her head in agreement. "He has been pretty hospitable. But I don't want him to continue this." Yolie swept a hand to emphasize what she meant. "I don't want him to be gentle with only me. Everyone deserves kindness. And this villain by day, Romeo by night thing isn't gonna cut it." Wormmon couldn't help but laugh boldly about that. Spunk, she had in plenty.

"He better chose which one he wants more or I'm gonna... gonna..." She thought about what she would do if the moment arose, yet she couldn't quit think of anything to do to one such as Ken if he, for some unknown reason, refused to do as she asked. Then it struck her, placing an impish smirk onto her lips, "I'm gonna make him serve ME for a change and see how he likes it. And torture him by doing little dances, and singing like a canary, and all the crap he put me through while I was here."

"He made you sing?"

The blush grew ten folds at the admittance . And, yes, she wished she could find a deep dark hole to crawl in so wormmon wouldn't have that smirk on his face as he stared up at her. Yolie clasped one hand to her inflamed cheek, clearing her throat as she shrugged it off the best her pride would allow. Like the memory didn't embarrass her enough.

Quickly turning the topic in another direction before wormmon pressed further on details, she switched to the reason why no one was in sight around the place. "Where is everyone anyways? Is it one of those avoid-Yolie days?"

Wormmon shrugged sheepishly, smiling like an innocent cookie thief. "I don't know what you're talking about." His school boy smile didn't fool her for a second. "I guess it's just a surprise." He sweetly added.

"AH HA!" Yolie pointed a finger at the sly little bug, "I knew it, I knew it! You're all in on it, and YOU'VE been distracting me."

"No no, you have it all wrong. I would never do such a thing." Though he was laughing the entire time while saying this. Yolie leaned forward until nearly bumping heads together, coming eye level with her little deceiver. "Oh come on wormy, tell me the little secret. I'll still act surprised."

The insect waved his hands dismissively, thinking back to all the beatings he would receive from cocomon if he blew it now. "Sorry Yolie, but I'm not authorized to give out such information. Though," He winked at her as he went on, "I will say this. Cocomon and some other gal's should be trying to find you right about now."

"Wha-?" No sooner had he said that did the little bunny pop out of nowhere. Her bright smile kind of worried the one she had been seeking. Yolie tried in vain to return the energetic expression, with a few added sweat droplets, when the flock of females came swamping her in the frenzy giggling crowd.

"We've been searching every where for you missy." Cocomon scolded, still with that playful grin and not a hint of anger behind that pout. A floramon quickly took up Yolie's hands, dragging her down the hall in the opposite direction of the kitchen. "Whoa, wait a minute. Where are we going? Why won't any one tell me? I'm still hungry!" Yolie's protest's weren't even acknowledged, much to her surprise. These females were hell bent on swishing her up to her room a.s.a.p., and not even ceasing the girl talk long enough to listen to the human's grumbling stomach.

Wormmon watched as the pack of roaring estrogen disappeared down the hallway, smirking at the way he just knew this night was going to be the catalyst for greater things. It was amazing the way Yolie carried herself, picking her shattered self off the floor with all the dignity one would expect in a trained warrior. Though she fooled many with her outward bravado appearance, wormmon knew she was still just a human girl, vulnerable to everything that plagues girls during this time of life. And though it bothered her greatly about Ken's other, darker, life, she kept a smile on anyways, seeking the good inside others and giving the benefit of the doubt first.

Shaking his head with a chuckle, wormmon thus turned on the call of his master, sighing inwardly to himself, 'Now let's just hope Ken is as easily persuaded to go along with this as Yolie is.'

xxxxxxxxxx

Ken had been coming and going from his control room on and off all day, slinking down the hall's to be undetected by any that crossed his path, even though their really wasn't anyone at all to meet with. It was like everyone purposely avoided his presence, which really didn't surprise Ken in the least anymore. Did they not do that anyways, is that not what he had ruthlessly enforced as a number one rule in his castle to begin with?

Strange, he had mused many times over the course of the approaching evening, but gave the situation little thought, brushing the quietness aside to fulfill his current task. And keeping his mind trained upon it was a chore indeed.

When he finally turned to lock the control doors, he sent a mental message to summon wormmon to his side. It was far to much effort to wonder down the halls and seek his servant out right now, his body felt stiff and well used after tying many loose ends up.

Ken's ear wings lifted up to the soft padding of coming feet, it never taking long for the insect to arrive, winded, but present all the same. "What the hell took you so long? Go retrieve Yolie before my foot of doom kicks your ass."

"Grouchy today?"

Ken crossed his arms as he slumped against the cool metal of the wall, breathing a breath of exhaustion while digesting lip from wormmon. Good God this wasn't the time to piss him off, not after all he had been through. Growling menacingly down to the quivering servant, Ken watched as at first wormmon's blank stare instantly morphed into fear, quickly responding in a much nicer tone. The irritation laced his master's deep growl, heated annoyance sizzling off the angels flesh.

"U-uh... master, she's in her room."

With that offered, Ken lifted his drowsily hanging head, just enough to lock his crimson eyes upon his servant. The glare was enough to expel all the courage from the little digimon, yet somehow, wormmon endured, dropping his head to squeak out, "She's getting ready, master."

"Ready? For what?"

It nearly caused wormmon to sigh relief at the baffled question, with him to open one eye to see the puzzlement in Ken's body language. "Uh, well, me and the others thought it would be nice to..." There wasn't any point in beating around the bush, or lying to one that read minds. If Ken detected any hint of deceit, it not only lead to punishment, but it would ruin the scheme of things if he blew his top and refused.

"We wanted Yolie to feel right at home, so we thought it would be nice for, you know, to hold a sort of surprise party."

Ken's wings ruffled in agitation, his muscles tensed more than he thought they could. Bending over ever so slightly, he managed to bully his reliable servant, as done so many times before, with the dark masculine dominance dripping from Ken as his husky voice grew several octaves lower. Threatening in its own deliciously evil way. "So let me get this strait," The dark one flashed his eyes in a menacing glowing show, hinting of what he really thought of the party scheme. His voice grew cold like the blizzard winds, freezing the blood of the bug in one simple, mind numbing voice, "all of you decided that it would be "fun" to throw a ball without my consent. Is that what I'm hearing?"

Wormmon was about to answer, but Ken didn't stop there. Oh no, he didn't stop, with his tone growing louder by the minute, "And you thought to do this when I'm dead tired, when all's I want is peace and quiet with Yolie, and you THOUGHT I would just stand by and allow you to do this WHY!"

He now had wormmon backing into the wall, sheet white at the menacing sight of his enraged master. "W-w-well, um, because we wanted to make Yolie happy."

"Happy? HAPPY! She IS happy you idiot! And if not, I'LL be the one to make her so, not you." The jealousy behind smothered the atmosphere, steaming out as the air snapped with pint up electricity around them both. Ken turned his back on his servant, finding the discussion closed, ready to stomp his way down to her room and call the whole thing off before it got completely out of hand.

"But master..."

With those words, Ken slightly turned his head, snarling underneath his breath at the further argument, "Don't you "But master" me. She's MINE to look after. No party! Got that!" Wormmon blankly nodded, not attempting to argue any further.

As Ken stormed down the halls, his swift servant came up beside him, trying to use all the negotiating skills he possessed to persuade his master other wise. "Senmon, she looked so excited to know she has to get ready for something. Cocomon and the others have been working on her gown for a few days now, and I just know you and she will love it."

"Like I CARE." Ken hissed under his breath, still on the war path, ready for blood.

Before he was able to rip Yolie's door off it's hinges, wormmon leapt up to hold Ken's hand in place, "Please let her enjoy this." He pleaded his case, pouting out that bottom lip like Yolie did when she tried to get her way.

Ken held that awkward pose only long enough to rethink this situation, huffing and puffing silently all he liked over the matter. He was very close, and veeeery tempted, to fling the little bug off and burst through Yolie's door. Who knew, she might even be in the process of changing at this minute. Imagine all their surprises if he happened to be lucky enough to see some skin. The very notion sent a welcomed heat to spread throughout his system, placing a very sneaky smirk over his lips.

The fantasy of Yolie barely clothed was all to soon wiped from his attention as his heart suddenly skipped a beat when he heard the melodious tinkle of Yolie's laughter. She WAS happy getting ready. Whispering to the other girls inside that sanctuary, giggling over silly things that forced Ken to snort distastefully with envy. If only HE was in there to absorb some of her laughter, to be the cause for her smile.

The blissful voices were enough Ken finally retracted his outstretched hand, allowing wormmon to slump to the ground with a small thud. 'Who am I to ruin her happiness?'

Tossing this information over, the angel shut his lids in distant thought, cursing his servants for doing this tonight. Didn't they understand he was tired beyond all reason?

Bringing one hand up to massage his temples, the towering master only groaned his displeasure, chucking his selfish behavior out the window. He couldn't be the focus for her affection all the time, something he didn't like, but knew it to be true. She needed other people to socialize with besides him, to share life stories and experiences with, to give advice and, right now, be pampered until the blush seemed an everlasting beauty mark.

Opening his lids slowly, Ken allowed his wings to ruffle, falling finally with defeat. 'For her. I'll only allow this for her.'

Spinning on his heels, Ken thus darted back towards the welcoming shadows of the castle. What he had to share could surely wait, or at least long enough for Yolie to enjoy herself for a little while. And perhaps this little escapade could even gain him a moment to nap.

Even though the angel's body language made it quit clear he didn't want to be disturbed, wormmon was heard sprinting to keep up, close behind his masters strides. "Go away wormmon." Ken warned in almost a whisper, feeling the pounding of his head eat away at his fading composure.

"You look like you should relax."

"Really? You're so observant." The snide compliment was brushed aside as they approached the black doors. The bug held his breath for a minute, his mind racing with many things clouding together all at once. It was enough that nearly caused Ken's cool to snap, the loudness of a wondering mind banging like cracking drums into his brain.

"Uh... m-master?"

Giving a gruff sound to answer, the dark one twisted the knob to enter his chambers, scantly paying wormmon the least bit of attention. Other than cursing the insects intensifying thoughts.

"She needs an escort."

"A what?" Ken stumbled in step, nearly toppling over. He had been so absorbed in tuning out all noise project around him to hear that statement. Turning around, the arch of one eyebrow forced wormmon to yank his attention to his fiddling claws, away from the quizzical expression eating into his form.

"Yolie. She needs someone to keep her company at the party."

"Big woopty freakin do. You take care of it, since you're so hell bent on going."

Ken was obviously not picking up the dropped hints. Cleared his throat, wormmon tried now a different tactic, though he knew this wasn't going end very pretty either. Time to be assertive, "You're the only one who can be her date tonight. You HAVE too. And I'm not taking no for an answer…. Ken."


	14. Freedom

**Vixon: Oh my, this is a long one. It took me forever just to get it all together, but I think it's okay. My brother is sure to go blah with all the mush, but I'm slowly converting him to fluff stories. (wink wink) So I hope you enjoy this chapter, cus I'm pretty sure it's the longest I've ever written. Boy are my fingers tired.**

**Ch13 _"Freedom"_**

A twitch told the small servant just what Ken thought of that statement. It took only a matter of seconds until the angel's cool, collected personality, exploded into utter chaos. "I WHAT! Don't you DARE tell me what I can and can not do around here! If I say I don't want to go then I'm NOT! GOING!"

Ken thrusted his doors wide open, the thud echoing down through the entire foundation, slamming into the wall with a deafening crack. He stomped only a few feet in, shoulders hunched, brows pinched furiously together, until his sights suddenly fell upon all the startled servants awaiting him. They looked on at the angel with terror, as they should, thrown back for a moment by his screams of outrage that, no doubt, instilled the fear of God in them.

Ken's scowl only deepened, pupils narrowing heatedly on each paled face. "What the hell are you all looking at!"

He thus stormed over to his chair, ready to squish any that unfortunately fell under foot.

Plopping down, Ken cradled his head in both hands, leaning forward as he called forth the warm flames in the hearth. He didn't need this. Not now, not when his head was pounding like a jack hammer and his muscles were strung taut enough to snap.

Wormmon was the first to step forward, leaping onto the arm of the chair, pressing closer to whisper in that all knowing voice of his, "Master, she already has her heart set on dancing with you tonight."

"No." Ken moaned, rubbing his temples feverishly.

"She kinda knows what the whole hub bub is, and she'll have such a wonderful time with you. You know it's true."

"I'm not up to it. Reschedule me or something."

Some of the other servants began to crowd around, settling down now that their master wasn't flying off his rocker any more.

"Come on senmon." An elecmon added, beaming a bright smile, but instantly concealed it when Ken turned his way. The angel took a quick sweep around the room, his hopes of enjoying himself were sadly dashed by the ashen faces focused away from his attention.

His servants cast their eyes to the ground, silent as the sleeping dead. Each were unable to even look at him. How could he and Yolie possibly enjoy themselves if all the other guest's couldn't even meet his gaze, not to mention talk to him with out stuttering?

"Well, you could enjoy yourself, master. I-if you just tried." The same elecmon finished, still training his gaze elsewhere, anywhere other than the angel of death.

Ken repeatedly chewed the idea over, knowing deep in his bleeding heart he wanted to be the one to entertain Yolie. To be the one holding her soft curves close, knowing she was his. Feeling the warmth she radiated chased away all encroaching shadows, the light inside her shimmering undauntedly so that one could imagine the world a splendid place, a glorious thing with all right and full of sun shine.

Feeling her happiness touched his essence so deeply that it almost hurt at times, enough to where the angel thought he would surely burst. Clenching his chest where his heart fluttered, Ken sighed out the migraine that conflicted with his decisions. The pain really wasn't as bad as he kept going on about, and standing around to giggle with Yolie wasn't going to kill him any. But if it did, he'd die a happy mon.

'My comfort for hers. That's what I promised.'

So with this fumbling thought, the angel slowly stood, brushing his pants off and rounding to his dresser, picking up his brush in attempts to place order in the unruly hair. It was wild and wind blown, sticking out in places he had to fight in order to place some semblance of order into. Curse his fathers genetics for unruly hair. It never seemed to fall into place.

Wormmon gave a subtle chuckle, smirking at the idea that this was Ken's idea of getting ready. The master would be severely surprised when his servants decided to take over, as they had all planned from the beginning. Giggling as Ken made painful facial expressions while running the brush through, wormmon received a very distasteful glare for his amused sounds.

The other servant digimon eventually gathered up their courage, stepping forth to voice the obvious, "We were going to have you scrubbed squeaky clean first... master." A candlemon offered, holding up a back scrubber to indicate his meaning.

Ken blushed slightly due to his negligence, knowing he had to be a sight, not to mention filthy from today's events. What was he thinking, that a quick brushing would make him presentable? He couldn't help but want to kick himself.

Scrunching his shoulders self-consciously, the dark one dragged his feet towards the bathroom. Unwinding his bandages, he stepped into the spicy scented room, amazed to find the tub already filled, steaming in welcome.

Oh, how he longed for the heated waves to wash away all his aches. For the soothing bath scents to sweep the intoxicating enchantment over his worked body. The very fantasy of it nearly made him sigh out loud in anticipation. Oh the heaven of cleanliness. Now if only Yolie could be here to complete this fantasy. But he immediately snorted out loud at that straying thought, shaking his head for his youthful imagination. Like she would ever run her fingers over his bare skin and enjoy it.

His servants quickly pilled in after him, circling around the tub with soap and wash clothes in hand. Ken was just unfastening his pants, and thinking of Yolie, sliding the ragged material down his legs when he finally noticed the audience set about the tub. Yanking the jeans back up in embarrassment, Ken's voice hitched in his throat, "W-what- what the hell!"

A toyagumon took up the dangling bandages, finishing stripping his master's chest as Ken backed away out of the bathroom in shock.

Wormmon nearly tripped the angel as he was entering, stuttering excuses left and right, "Senmon, were just going to speed you along. Yolie already has a head start, and we don't want you to have a lick of dirt anywhere on you."

"I'm not undressing in front of everyone!"

The others smiled, casting their eyes to the ground at that shriek. Who knew the ruthless angel of death was so skittish about such things?

Wormmon clucked his tongue in a scolding fashion, pushing Ken forward into the bathroom, "You don't have much of a choice. We can't keep Yolie waiting because of your stubbornness, and this is the only way we can make sure you're fully clean."

Ken held his pants tight to his hips, struggling with a demidevimon that desperately tried to dislodge them from his iron grip. "NO way! I can clean myself WITHOUT your help."

"Fine." Wormmon grumbled, "We'll keep our eyes closed if it will satisfy you."

"Then how will you know if you got me spotless?" Ken threw back, successfully kicking the demidevimon away long enough to rebut ton his britches. The servants all simultaneously gave agitated sighs, lathering up the wash clothes impatiently. Wormmon narrowed his eyes upon his master, mentally berating him for his childishness.

'Do you want to be ready for her or not? You're pushing everything back just because you don't want them to see a little skin.'

_'A little! Try the whole shebang! I can't have them see my... nakedness. Do you know how embarrassing that would be?'_

'I know how embarrassed you'll be when Yolie complains of how you take too long.'

Grumbling over that, Ken's cheeks flared in response.

'Just remember, this is for Yolie. You're trying to impress Yolie. So show a little leg why don't cha.'

And with that, Ken snarled and tore at his pants to get them off. His servants kept all minds busy, and sights averted for the time being, knowing that if they looked up, it wouldn't be to pleasant to feel the wrath of their moody master. None of them dare look up until they heard the splashes within the bath settle.

Ken had swallowed his pride for the time being, discarding his concealing scarf and shorts, hopping into the luke warm water, head down to show he was NOT enjoying this.

"Tell this to no one." He threatened, which all instantly took to heart.

A terriermon gasped on seeing his masters face, for the first time, receiving nothing less than an angry glare for it. The red on Ken's cheeks were evident, scorching his face to know that all these digimon could see his scarred body. He sunk himself even lower into the liquid, ashamed of his flaws. Ashamed for everything he had brought upon himself for others to see. His forehead lightly rested on his bent knee's, the expression on Ken's face full of resentment and hostility.

The terriermon quickly apologized for the disruptive sound, taking up Ken's arm and scrubbing it with renewed concentration. Ken returned his eyes to the rippling water, not wanting to see the horror on the servants faces, though he did pick up a few wandering thoughts concerning him.

'I never knew the master was this strongly built.'

'That's a lot of battle wounds.' He scrunched his shoulders at that one, clenching both eyes tightly shut to hold back his pain from showing.

'Who knew the master was so hot.'

Ken brought his head up to search for who ever thought that, blushing deeply when he noticed the admiration in most of his servants expressions, plus one dreamy eyed one he took note never to allow near his naked body again. He didn't really swing that way, if you know what I mean.

A couple of bakumon went about cleaning the wings, while a guilamon massaged shampoo into Ken's scalp.

Wormmon beamed proudly to see his master patiently taking all this, knowing that it was quite uncomfortable, but amazed he went through with it anyways. Even if Ken was chewing his tongue to keep from screaming out his disconcert. It just went to show how dedicated he was to Yolie, enough to parade around in his birthday suit. She meant everything to him, and he did anything for her. This was becoming widely known.

But despite the frustration, and indignation, a slight smile rose to the angels lips, to feel the trepidation from most of the others hearts lift, even if it was just for a fleeting moment. He nearly felt... humbled by their begrudging acceptance. Was this not what most life forms strived for, to feel somewhat wanted? Yet it was only a dim spark of welcome, one that extinguished itself just as quickly as it had arose.

A sudden enthusiastic knock radiated into the room, followed by a very chipper cocomon poking her head in to call over the supervising wormmon, "Wormy, Yolie wanted to know if there were any bath beads. She says it always helps her relax when she's nervous. Got any? Huh? Huh?"

"U-uh, let me look."

The bunny barged into the room, never minding the privacy she was intruding. She rocked back and forth on her heels, whistling into the air as she waited, allowing her eyes to take a gander at the bathroom she had never been in before. It was surprisingly nice, she inwardly commented, for one that belonged to a male. The scent of exotic oils floated about her nostrils, heightening the pleasure senses until she couldn't help but sigh at the sweet aromas and mesmerizing calm of the nearby splashes.

All hell suddenly broke lose when the booming voice of Ken interrupted the ditzy digimon's merriment, "WORMMON! What in the HELL is she doing in here! She's a girl, get her OUT!" Ken screamed, ducking low, snapping his wings to cover his exposure from curious female eyes.

"GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" Ken splashed around, sending waves to churn over the rim, tossing bath products at the girl that could only stand there in complete rapture. There were also some unfortunate servants that were chucked, since, of course, they weren't nailed down to the floor or quick enough to dodge his reach.

Cocomon snapped her attention to the person hurling things, straining her neck to see who it was behind all that wet mat of black feathers. "Oh my, is that master senmon?"

The master scrunched up, growling even louder for her quick wit. "LEAVE DUMB-ASS!"

Her chuckle made all the feathers bristled irritably, his anger reaching its boiling point. Before he could spout out another raging order, a wizardmon managed to dump a nice pail of cool water over Ken's head, forcing their master to choke on the suds and bubbles, bristling his entire body like a drowned cat. Ken sputtered, coughing and slapping away anyone else that came to repeat the process, his soaked rat expression just priceless. That temporarily cooled him off.

Wormmon promptly deposited the bath beads into cocomon's hands, ushering her to the exit post haste in giggles. "Now don't worry senmon, she's leaving. She didn't even see anything she wasn't supposed too, did you cocomon?"

"Of course she did you idiot or she wouldn't be laughing."

The bug gave her a fixed look, as if silently communicating to go-along-with-it-you-nincapoop-or-it'll-be-all-our-butts-on-the-line.

But, of course, she was unaware of such things, bursting out the blunt truth, "Of course I got to see his naked backside. He's hunk-a-licouse eye candy, wormy."

Ken placed his hands over his eyes, horrified down to his very core. A groan escaped his lips, working its way to wormmon as the larvae pushed the bunny through the door. Poking his head out for private talk, wormmon stared cocomon down to get her to stop chuckling. "Hey, is Yolie close to being ready or is everything on track?"

"Everything's super." Cocomon held a thumbs up, winking at the little insect in her oh so sweet way.

"Make sure she's ready in one hour. If Senmon's not there to pick her up.. well, think of something to get him out the door. We'll take it from there."

And so the bath was finally over and done with. 'Thank you God, thank you.'

Ken never felt so violated, or squeaky clean, in his entire life. If there was dirt any where on his person, his servants annihilated it, scrubbing places he didn't even want to mention. The blush licked its way from his clawed toes up to his sinfully black hair roots. Oh how he would just like to throttle all these digimon right about now.

'It's not like they don't deserve it.'

Now he held a towel firmly knotted to his waist, another draped over his broad shoulders as he made it into his room. A troop of servants dogged his every wet step, prancing around like little ducklings behind him. The demidevimon seated his master in a near by chair, of which was in front of the unused dresser, a piece of furniture balancing a veiled mirror that he meticulously preferred to remain covered.

A group of bakumon began rubbing their masters untamable mat of hair, going at it until his very skin began to dislocate itself from his skull. They were not the least bit gentle, so rough and frantic to get it dry, leaving Ken to imagine himself bald afterwards. "Not so hard." He growled between clenched fangs.

Their behavior had to be due to the strapped time issue, or personal revenge. Which ever, he'd believe both.

The others were scurrying along to and fro, from one task to the other. Practically filing his claws down to their nubs, blow drying his wings so they were velvety soft to the touch. A wizardmon thus leapt onto the dresser set before his master, removing a very long pair of scissors.

Ken instinctively drew back, scraping the chair with him as his eyes shimmered in fear of some stranger approaching to mutilate his hair. This was a job he had been doing since first entering the digital world, so he wasn't quite used to trusting others when it came to muddling up his image, "Okaaaay, I can handle the rest myself."

His blatant protest didn't faze any of the others, only wormmon seemed to respond to that protest, not the least surprised but very annoyed, "No, no. For once in you're life trust him. He'll have you looking like a brand new you in no time." The others agreed with wormmon, boasting the wizard Mon's magnificence with a pair of moose and scissors, never allowing the angel a chance to stutter another word.

"Wormmon, I don't like this."

"What's not to like?"

Ken dipped his head foreword as the 'magnificent' stylist instructed him to lean forward. The angel nerved his lower lip before voicing his concern, sounding much like a dawdling child in his rambles, "I have a bad feeling about this. My stomach is doing flips, I can't breath right. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Wormmon exchanged a knowing smile with another servant, meeting Ken stare for stare when he finally brought his face back up. The worry eating away at their master's expression brightened the attitudes of all present, though it was scaring the hell out of him with each snip sound going around his head and the little pieces of semi-dry hair falling to the floor.

The big bad angel of death nearly looked pathetically cute from his misgivings, resembling the backward young adult he was more and more with that helplessness set in his twinkling red pools.

"Don't sweat it." Wormmon beamed his pleasantries, motioning for the newly furnished costume and mask to be laid out on Ken's bed. It was easy for them to say, they weren't the one's with clumps of hair laying about there feet.

After the sprucing up of his hair, and long minutes of the stylist brushing it with a fin pick comb, Ken was instantly suited up in the dark suit, strapped, buttoned, polished to perfection by the eager servants, and deemed worthy to escort Yolie. He chaffed here and there, grumbling all the while tugging on the shirt collar like a simpering child, but that was to be expected the servants figured.

He felt like an imbecile, like someone in the wrong skin, fidgeting and ruffling his wings to show his uncomfortable ness. Ken kept his head bent, huffing about his pants hugging to tightly, the jacket suffocating him and making moving his wings impossible. The wings, they all had decided, was to give the illusion of a sparkling black cape wrapped around his broad form, leaving the tailor to kiss his fingers into the air and call his creation marvelous. Now all he needed was to put on the mask to complete the masquerade.

After that compliment, the eerie silence penetrated the dark one's ears, forcing him to turn abruptly to see why the room was so still. You could have heard a pin drop by all the amazed intakes of breath, or a cricket because of the hushed voices. It frightened Ken for only a split second, imagining himself a horrid sight. But upon observation, what he noticed in all their faces was not horror but pure satisfaction in their work.

They had slaved for this moment, to see him civilized and, dare they even speak it, handsome.

"It's just a suit." The awe forced Ken to gulp, none to used to admiration when it came to appearances. Grumbling to himself, and clenching his teeth, he yanked and tugged at the shirt collar choking the life out of him, "Stupid, itchy... I look like a fool!"

His temper was getting the best of him again, over flowing as he went to rip the formal apparel into shreds. But his servants gave involuntary shouts of denial, especially the tailor, breaking the spell of silence.

Wormmon gracefully yanked the covering off the mirror, ready to show Ken just how amazing he looked right now.

The sheet fell free from its perch, releasing particles of age old dust clinging to its fabric. Ken instantly threw his arms up, spinning away from the reflective glass with a feral growl tracing his lips. He didn't want to see. He never wanted to gaze at the monster he was, to stare the hideous thing down and know it was him gazing back. Was it not torture enough to know you were hard to look at, having it thrown in you're face so often one could never forget? He couldn't even fantasize of being normal, not any more, not after countless number of years living in a hell created by one's own clawed hands.

"Senmon, it's okay. You might want to take a look this time." Wormmon's voice was like a soft hand rested upon your shoulder, placing strength into one's own self, "Please master, it's alright."

The angel's form quivered, knowing he had to be lying. His mouth felt dry and gritty, like parched desert sand. 'No. I mustn't look. I can't. Not this face, I don't want to know that face.'

He couldn't possibly possess the courage. Not again. Not after seeing himself seven years ago.

But... he had too. If not for himself, than for the benefit of knowing what Yolie would expect, and if he should just call it off to spare her any grief of glimpsing his hideousness. That damn cursed face! He didn't want to frighten her, to scare her away by his appearance.

It was best to decide if she indeed would be if she saw him like this. Unmasked, vulnerable to the glares of hatred, naked to the world that looked down upon him with sneers, condemning the human/angel for his sins.

Swallowing the scratchiness in his throat, Ken slowly spun his clouded globes towards the mirror. His focus strayed from the bottom of it to the center, the place where his pale face stared back. Walking in a dream like daze, the master leaned upon the dresser with one hand, the other raised to stroke his pale cheek. His eyes never strayed from the doppelganger, watching with fixed fascination as it followed his movements.

His hair was down, sleek and hugging his face like when he was human -on earth- before he was the digimon emperor or angel of death. Before any of this torment.

Everything looked... normal. All the surrounding digimon felt the gloomy atmosphere disperse, releasing their held breaths for his reaction.

A small smile tugged the ends of Ken's lips, the very thought of him nearly resembling his old self brought a healthy glow back into his features.

'My God, I look... look... like how she remembers me.'

It nearly brought the angel to weep, his lips curving graciously, only to reveal the fangs hidden behind.

'No... ' Ken reminded himself, now discovering the scars on his chalky flesh, the ear wings that were unmistakably THERE for all to see. And the claws that were only dulled for the night.

'I will never be that Ken again. I'll never be... human.' His lids solemnly drooped, with the dark one to slip his hand slowly down to his side. 'I'll always be THIS.'

His hands clenched tightly, feeling his nails reshape and grow back out to the lethal weapons they were. 'What an ugly little monster I've become.' He thought blandly, releasing a long sigh from his body, the joy that he once felt leaving with it.

"I can't do this."

Wormmon blanched there for a minute, opening his jaw to argue, "B-b-b-but Senmon-"

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" The angel bellowed, running his hands through his hair, messing it up from the stressful tugs. "Tell her I can't come. Tell her I'm sick, that its contagious. I won't do this, not to her." And not to myself, he thought. Who was he fooling with this nice guy act? They knew it was only a farce, something he used to gain her favor. He wasn't kind, he wasn't courteous, and he wasn't worth her affections. Why torture himself pretending to be normal, human, when it was only an illusion?

"But she'll only come up here on her own and drag you out when she see's you're not ill."

Ken ran to his balcony, grabbing the porcelain mask on the way, throwing the doors open to take flight. He had to escape. He couldn't let Yolie see him, not like this, didn't want her hope, didn't want to be anything right now but a shadow.

Yes. A gray, cold, meaningless shadow that no one ever knew existed. That no one ever took notice too, never looked at to see what it was.

He felt miserable inside. Sick with those damn butterflies that wouldn't stop battering inside and leave him be. And if it wasn't bad enough, his conscience picked mercilessly for deserting the girl who's heart he refused to break, making him feel dirty and rotten through and through. Like a bad guy.

'I am the bad guy fool! I do bad things and like it.'

'But you hate it right now, and all those other times.' Ken froze in mid step, that step that would be his freedom to the sky. Did he just have a conversation with his conscience?

'Damn right you yellow belly.'

'Oh my God, I'm losing it!'

How long had it been since that inner voice nit-picked him? Eight, maybe nine years? Wormmon stared up at his master, a confused expression mounting his face. Ken looked even paler than usual, balancing on the balcony like some battle raged inside his mind.

'You think you wont be breaking her heart when you disappear? When she's all alone in this God forsaken castle? Huh? Get back there and give that girl what she deserves.'

'She doesn't deserve stomaching me. I'm not-'

'Not what? Not human, is that what you were going to say? Or maybe not good enough? Sure, you're an ass hole most of the time, but she doesn't see you that way. She knows who YOU are. Not the angel of death, not the digimon emperor, not even Ken the soccer star. She knows YOU. The real, not all that reasonable, throws tantrums like a brat when he doesn't get his way, Ken. In case you haven't noticed, mush for brains, you're head over heel's for her and I think it's obvious she is for you too. But what do I know, I'm just that little voice of reason that goes ignored and knows sooooo much more than you.'

Even his conscience copped an attitude. The smart ass.

Ken growled in his throat, infuriated by himself. 'I won't go.' He pouted, with the taunts of his inner self whispering, 'Chicken, chicken. Bake bake bake.'

"Shut up!"

"We didn't say anything master."

"Not you... " Ken glared menacingly at his servants, instantly buttoning his lip when he was about to admit his insanity. All the servants just exchanged looks, shrugging their shoulders at one another.

Just when Ken was about to hiss his refusal to attend the party, a knock shook all in the room. Ken's chalky face instantly broke out in sweat, falling to show the devouring fear leaking out. "I'm not here." He reminded wormmon, the only one to cross the room and ask to who was on the other side.

"Hey, is senmon in there?" Cocomon's voice came through the thick wood separating her from wormy.

"Yeah. Why?"

The little bunny huffed out a miserable sigh, giving the impression of being utterly lost. "It's... uh... about Yolie."

"Yolie?" Ken immediately leapt to the door, flinging it open to gaze at the solemn rabbit. "What about her? What's wrong!"

Cocomon looked around her master, finding wormmon motion for her to say something. "She... um.. she won't come out of her room. She said she's too nervous and... ugly."

"What! That's a lie!" Ken fastened the plain mask upon his face, marching down the hall with blind determination flowing through his veins. She wasn't ugly, just had the jitters, and be damned if he was going to allow her to skip on this event no matter what she said or thought. She was going, and she was going to LIKE it too if he had anything to say about it.

Beating on the door, the angel finished adjusting the mask, it covering only his upper face, with his feet firmly planted in front of her door. Yolie had to have heard, if not the knock, than surely the growl reverberating from his chest. His impatience got the better of him, leading the angel to twist the door knob only to have it pulled from his grasp as it opened. "Yes?" She asked, batting her lashes with out a care in the world.

Ken's mouth hung loose, nearly dropping to his feet when he went to protest.

All the pint up anger evaporated on the spot, if not from her sweet whispering voice, than surely from the sight of this enchantress regally poised before him. Yolie's outfit was a light yellow silk evening gown, with the collar cut low to reveal the tops of her mounding breasts. A pleasant distraction for any admiring eye. The material hugged her graciously formed curves, leaving nothing and all to the imagination. Little stitching of red roses spun around the bodice, with no sleeves but straps to barely fall down her dipping shoulders.

Her hair was glistening from the rooms light, placing a halo around her head like the Greek goddess that she was. Oh how she glowed, a welcoming sight for a starved fallen angel. It was enough Ken was rendered speechless, but he usually was when ever she was around.

Her chocolate eyes glittered and stared up curiously at him, as if expecting Ken to respond. But needless to say, given the circumstances, Ken was unable to form any sort of word.

"I... y-you..." He immediately cast his eyes to the floor, hands behind his back in the shiest, cutest picture Yolie had ever seen. He couldn't look at her without blushing, rendered unable to move if forced eye contact with her beauty. It was disheartening to say the least, though she too now took notice of his miraculous transformation.

Everything was so different about him tonight. From the splendid apparel, to the way he wore his hair. It was enough of a change that she felt her entire body go up in flames. Yolie pressed a hand to her cheek, acknowledging the temperature spike between them. Her body never ceased to amaze her when it came to betraying her true desires. And Ken was always a mouth watering temptation, bashful in his raving body she couldn't help but want to touch.

'I guess this is what you call good chemistry.' She thought, hoping to God that Ken wasn't listening to her thoughts right now. It was humiliating enough to have the energy between them sizzle out of control, taking along with it her body. They couldn't even stand in the same room without the attraction mounting out of control.

"W-what did you come up here for?" Yolie asked, looking around to picture together what it was he wanted, without losing her dignity, and mind, when he stood so close.

The angel just fidgeted from one foot to the other, mumbling under his breath, refusing to make eye contact with her. "What was that?" She asked, breathless, and pressing him to speak up.

"I said," He began, clearing his throat so not to repeat this again, "I came to get you, since you said you didn't want to come down."

Her wide eye stare spoke volumes, if he had only looked up, "I never said that."

Ken nearly fell over, losing his footing when he went to balance his weight on his right foot. "What? Cocomon said..." He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the impish digimon snicker and duck back around the corner. "That little-!" Ken raised a fist to indicate that the bunny was as good as dead for tricking him.

It only brought out a giggle from Yolie as she took up the raised fist to tangle her fingers with his. "Oh, don't worry about it. Cocomon said you were getting cold feet so she just, you know, gave you a little push out you're door."

Yolie brought her other hand up to his hair, brushing it aside from his glowing orbs, carelessly winding a lock in-between her fingers, amazed by its silky texture. "Wow." She whispered, "You're hair is so... it looks like how it used too."

Ken's eyes brightened, sparkling from her compliment. "You think?"

She nodded, lowering her hand to brush intimately across his chiseled jaw. Her fingers graced over the warming skin, forcing a breath to lock in his lungs. "Yolie." Her name was like a special charm, caressing in sound the way his husky voice whispered it. It sent tingles into her body to hear his lustful voice, breathing life into the name and making it become an exotic spell sending passion to boil her blood.

He nuzzled his face into her touch, begging for more, pleading for completion. It was like his skin was starved for her warmth, for her hidden promises, for her tender love. Ken gave out a primal growl, yanking her into his arms as he chuckled at her girlish yelp.

"Why don't we skip the party?" His male arrogance resurfaced when she trembled, not in fright but for his embrace. Yolie cocked her head one way, staring up at those mischievous eyes that no one should possess. "And miss all the fun?"

"We can have our own fun up here."

Giggling like a giddy school girl, Yolie just pulled his face down, tenderly kissing his half exposed cheek. "Well, I don't know about you, but I want to dance, and eat, and all that other jazz."

Ken's smile slowly fell, the shyness taking hold of him again. "I-I... all those people. They'll be looking at me, or not. Their afraid of me."

"Than you just have to show them there's nothing to fear." She reassured, in that good ole Yolie fashion that made him melt. All's she had to do was ask it and he would bend to her will. That puppy dog look was the ultimate closure. He was instantly lost, agreeing on anything she said with out a second thought. And the kiss... well, he didn't really have much of a chance any ways.

Yolie began to tug the mask away from his face, instantly vaulting him to catch her hand. "No." He whispered, a frightened wildness sparking in his features. "I'd do anything for you, my sweet. Give you the moon and stars, the jewels of the earth, but not that. Don't ask me of that. Not yet."

He wasn't ready.

Yolie graciously excepted this and bowed her head in silent agreement.

"I can wait. There's nothing more I'd like to see than your face, without secrets and shadows to hide behind. But I can wait until you're willing to give me that treasure."

Ken leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, light glowing in the depths of his enchanting eyes. The dark one was so over come by her understanding, thankful for whatever higher power it was that had graciously given her to him.

She felt everything about him at the moment soften. No more anxiety. No stiffness, no cold places in the mirrors of his soul. He was completely at peace. She wasn't even afraid of him any more, not the small fangs that poked out from his mouth, not his touch that gave only pleasure where ever it grazed.

The soft sound of his heart held Yolie entranced, she couldn't look away. The very fabric of time stood still with them engrossed by the others presence, drinking in the others image. They would have stood like two statues forever in time like that, embracing each other like there was no world outside the others eyes.

But the moment soon shattered into little shards. Wormmon poked his head in, noticing the two standing so close to one another he thought they might fall together and kiss until nothing on their bodies was left for their mouths to devour. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. Cocomon bounded in, her voice full of energy as she announced the ball was ready for them.

Ken cursed the spunky digimon in several languages, breaking away from Yolie only long enough to straiten his jacket and extend his arm. "Shall we, my sweet?"

"Of course, snookums." Ken's eyes widened only for a split second before he burst out laughing. Yolie snatched up her own mask, one that wasn't entirely plain like her gentleman escort, but shaped and painted beautifully like it was a golden butterfly.

They descended the stairs in style, taking their sweet time, not ready to relinquish the others arm just yet.

It was magical to say the least. The ball room was polished to perfection, pearl white walls and floor to reflect the surrounding. High windows displayed the night out beyond, reaching from the floor to nearly graze the ceiling, with long velvet red curtains draping the sides.

Gold rim went around the edges of almost everything, snaking up large pillars like vines, extending out to the crystal chandelier that illuminated the colorful pictures painted upon the ceiling. Pictures depicting little cherubs and sun filled days, of fairytales new and old.

Yolie held her mouth open in awe the entire way down the stair case. Everything just leapt out, trying to catch her attention, successfully doing so, forcing the human girl to believe she had stepped through a door way into a magical world fit only for a princess.

"You're MY princess." Ken watched her twinkling eyes mist over, the joy over powering his soul until he too had to blink a few times to hold back the joyous tears.

Yolie squeezed him tightly into an embrace, thanking him for letting her have this once in a life time experience. "I never knew anything this beautiful existed."

The angel held her close in his chest, stroking her spilling hair tenderly, lovingly, "I did." And she most certainly knew he didn't mean the room. His lustful gaze left nothing to mistake.

The servants motioned for the two to take their seats at the dinner table, the food spread out in many varieties of delicious treats and feasts. Ken seemed apprehensive about the food, glancing down at his plate, then up at Yolie for her warming smile. She already had meats and pies pilled onto her plate, licking frosting from her fork.

"Oh," Yolie peeped, blushing deeply when she felt his stare.

"Is there something wrong with the food?" Wormmon asked, fiddling with his claws as he awaited an answer.

"N-no." Ken scrunched into his chair, wings twittering in that habit to show his apprehension. He still hadn't touched anything on the table, worrying his date this evening. 'Hehe. Date.'

Yolie soon caught on to Ken's reasons, his body language spoke crystal clear, though he never voiced his plight.

"I won't look. Go ahead and eat something."

Of course. It was far to bright in here, and he wasn't at all used to eating in front of others. His habits were, to some, atrocious, messy, and enough that would probably ruin Yolie's appetite if she watched.

Beaming her a thankful smile, Ken slowly brought the meat up, his fangs making quick work of the chicken leg. They made light conversation in-between bites, and although Yolie said she wouldn't watch, she just couldn't help herself. Temptation was far to great, leaving her little room to think twice. Slowly allowing her sights to stray from her food, the girl gave out a silly snicker to find Ken shoving a large piece of cake into his mouth. 'No way he can get that entire thing in his... oooh, he did.'

Icing caked his mouth, testimony that he REALLY liked what he was tasting. His sights flew up when he heard her giggle again, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk from all the food. Blushing fiercely, the angel beamed an embarrassed grin, turning away to wipe the frosting with his sleeve.

Wormmon threw a napkin at his master, making a sound as if saying don't-you-dare-ruin-that-outfit!

"Well, aren't you glad you got to see me eat?" Ken lamented, finished cleaning his face, shaking his head and wanting the ground to split apart and swallow him up. He was a little annoyed she had watched, and laughed. She didn't understand that some things just couldn't be helped, leaving him to hunch his shoulders shamefully.

Yolie just smirked, taking a swig of whatever it was swirling in her glass. "I don't see anything wrong with it." She amended, "Reminds me of my brothers. At least you're not belching and having making a musical with arm pit noises."

And just on cue, classical music filled the room, leading the two to realize this masquerade only consisting of them. No one danced onto the floor, no one joined the banquet stacked upon the table. It was only her and Ken left to enjoy the festivities.

She found a pink gabumon refilling cups and ask why no one else was joining them for dinner. The digimon only gave a sheepish grin, pulling his party hat up to stare at her, "This party was made for you two. We're having fun just watching." He curiously leaned in closer, whispering out, "I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I have a bet with lilymon that you can get senmon to blush by ten. She says it'll be the other way around, but what does she know?" He gave her an all knowing wink.

That forced Yolie to chuckle behind her hand, "I'll see what I can do."

The digimon flashed a triumphant smile, bowing to her and returning to the kitchen. Now the only question that remained was how to get Ken to blush? She couldn't let that gabumon lose his bet, even though she kinda felt he was cheating by divulging this information. But the game would still be fun, Yolie decided.

Lifting her eyes up to greet her date, she sweetly asked if he was finished, which he complied and leaned back in his chair, patting his tummy like a well feed tabby. Smiling mischievously, Yolie quickly jumped up and took his hand, tugging with all her might to get him up, "Come dance with me."

"W-what?" Ken chocked a little as she pulled, dragging him reluctantly from his seat out onto the dance floor. "Yolie, I don't know how... I have two left feet, a-and... " His excuses never seemed to faze her, leaving the girl to place a finger onto his stilled lips, shushing him for the moment. Her brightening sights spoke to his insecurities, baiding back all the apprehension that swirled within. "I'll show you how."

In the corner of her eye, Yolie's lips curved upwards to see a lilymon begrudgingly hand over a few dollar bills over to the pink gabumon. She had successfully made Ken squirm underneath his collar, shying away as always when left to Yolie's teasing. It was always so cute to her, to know she held that kind of power over the most powerful digimon in existence, and yet with one look, one word, she could make him crumble to the boy he once was.

Ken nodded, stiffly extending his arms to hover only inches from her waist. He felt his palms become doused in sweat, heart slamming wildly into his chest cavity. Chewing his lower lip, the angel bashfully brought his eyes from her petite waist up to her glistening lips. Those sweetly curved distractions shook his soul, until nothing but Yolie swamped his enhanced senses. Ken couldn't help but gulp down the growing in surety.

Gingerly, she took his extended right hand in her left, then escorted his left to the curve of her hip. She heard his sharp intake, his hands shaking as she crept closer to fill the distance between them. And on that note, the classical music morphed into an all too familiar tune that bespelled the only two on the lonely floor.

Ken gave a snide expression, peevishly watching wormmon off by the instruments as he and Yolie circled around the room to the song of beauty and the beast. Yolie laughed gently at his annoyed face, instantly snapping his sour mood back to her and into the rhythm of their bodies to the melodies.

The music spun around them, weaving the two even closer together as Ken let out a few apologies for stepping on her feet, and Yolie chuckling at his improvement and sheepish voice. How could he be anything but an angel to her? At this moment, he held no resemblance to the dark creature he once was, or the monster that struck undeniable fear into others hearts. He was, to her, the most precious, gentlest man God ever created.

The servants that weren't playing the instruments watched from the side lines, silently cheering Ken on. Their master looked up at all the pleasant faces gazing onward, grinning towards the confidence in the onlookers eyes. 'They don't fear me.'

Ken took a firmer hold on Yolies hand, floating across the ball room in magical sweeps and twirls. Her gown sighed along with his wings, flowing gracefully around them, each spin fluffing her dress out like she were flying. And Ken was always there to catch, resting her against himself to let her soar again.

As the song began to die down, and the candles fell into step with it, Yolie snuggled her body up against her perfect date, her heart fluttering in rhythm with his. A pink flush kissed her cheeks, leaving the girl breathless but content. She rested her head against his broad chest, giving a sated sigh, inhaling his spicy scent like it was the only thing anchoring her feet securely to the ground.

The action caught Ken off guard, forcing his lungs to draw in a large amount of air, his body stiffened for only a brief second. And then, like always after such tender trust fell upon him, he melted against her with a sigh. How could he ask for any thing else? The world didn't matter, for, she was his world. His angel. His sweet, sweet angel. And she was all that mattered.

Neither noticed the music had ended, still moving together as one, in a dance they only wished lasted well into eternity. Ken shut his eyes, closing down his mind, to allow only his body to feel. Every sensation thrived, tingled, with the recognition of a warm body pressed to his. The fragrance of Yolie's hair, the sound of her soft breathing becoming synchronized with his. It was all just perfect.

He wrapped a tighter hold around her small form, smiling in content that everything felt right. Like he was truly the luckiest man in the world. Well... man/digimon.

Yolie finally brought her head up, eyes clouded over in the intoxication of love. She couldn't help but smile, knowing that the ground shook when she was with him, fireworks went hay-wire, sparks flew. She could only pray he felt the same. That the little fire that kindled inside her soul was the same growing inferno inside of his. Unlike him, she wasn't a mind reader, so there for she only had a chance to know what he was thinking by the softness in his own eyes. His trusting Cheshire grin.

"Told you you could dance."

Ken chuckled to himself, brushing her mind with his, _'what a wonderful teacher you are_.'

Taking her hand, he nudged her to a balcony over looking the field of flowers. Dimming the candle light around them, they both turned their sights to the heavens above, drinking in the twinkles that fluxated like little diamonds in the distance. The wind blew warm and gentle, filling Yolie's body with the scent of fresh water and roses.

She glanced down, eyes alight when she noticed rose buds scaling up to sway in the breeze. "Ken, all of this is just so.. so... " Her excitement couldn't even be expressed by words alone.

Brushing the back of his hand against her cheek, the angel only tilted his head. "Breath taking? Wonderful?"

"All that and more."

She felt her body begin to tremble, her knee's growing weaker with each flick of his fingers against her sensitive skin. And his eyes, they glowed with such purity, alive and sparkling because of her praises. Because she was happy. With him.

"Yolie?" Ken slid his hand down the length of her arm, a lovers touch, gentle and coaxing, taking up her hand. He sat her down on the balconies bench, thumb lightly tracing her pulse as he fumbled around to coarse his tongue into functioning. The girl looked up at him, a pink blossoming across her peach skin when ever he said her name like that. It choked the angel when she held that innocence, leaving nothing but awe to engross his entire being.

"Are you... do you like being here... with me?" She didn't hesitate to nod, vigorously as she spoke, "Of course. I love it here with you, and wormmon, and all the others." That puffed his chest up, singing of emotions that he felt he never once possessed before. Yolie removed her mask, returning her sights to the heavens.

But...

Her sentence sort of hung off towards the end, as if she silenced what ever it was that inwardly nagged. Yolie nerved her glossy lower lip, searching the stars that blanketed the sky. Ken felt her secret, heard it whisper in her heart as she framed a rather weak smile to appease him.

"You miss them. You're friends." His lids fell heavily, along with his shoulders. He could never replace those she cared for. He was only one of many in her life, and she needed all to feel complete, no matter what he said or did. Those people, as much as he loathed to admit it, were apart of her life, her memories. And she would never part with those no matter what he did.

Turning away, Ken felt his body tighten. His heart ached when she kept that sad smile.

"I do." She admitted, "They were always there for me when I needed them. I just wish... " But she shook her head, banishing that thought.

"You wish to see them."

Little traces of tears sprung forth, though Yolie tried her damnest to swallow the sob. "I wrote to them, but I know their still worried. And..." Her eyes snapped open, wide and hysterical, "the wedding!"

Frantic, she hopped to her feet, looking around like the answer floated somewhere out in the darkness. "Our digital partners. I came here to invite them and I... "

Ken held up his hand, silencing her ramblings. "I know. I know it all." Heaving out one last sigh, the angel took up her hands and lead her back into the castle. He didn't utter a word, not a sound, as Yolie tried to coax some sort of response. But he was deathly quiet, leading her up the winding stairs, down the many gray halls.

They finally stopped in front of the iron spiked doors, with Ken to hesitate only a moment to glance at his sweet. It was as if he etched every detail into memory, licking his glowing blood orbs across her flesh, taking in everything in attempts to hold the image forever in memory. Then, collecting the hopelessness branding his sights, he pushed the doors open, revealing to the girl the empty darkness inside.

He motioned for her to enter.

As she did so, a light flickered on from the ceiling, pooling down to shine on a creature hunched on the ground. It was little and brown, breathing softly. Yolie squinted several times, shielding her eyes with her hand to make out the little figure in front of her. It didn't take long until recognition brightened her features.

"Hawkmon!"

Charging towards her friend, the hypnotic state dispersed instantly from his eyes, his sights fell upon his partner. "Yolie! Oh my goodness, you look so beautiful." They both embraced each other in tight bear hugs, believing they would never be reunited like this ever again. The tears of joy crawled down both their cheeks, Yolie removing her mask, unable to get enough of putting the love on her digimon.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck on some island out in the middle of nowhere."

Hawkmon broke away from her embrace long enough to stare towards the red eyes in the distance, smiling at the dark one that hid in silence. "Senmon brought me here, saying you would like to see me. Your such a heavenly sight, I can't hide the fact that I was pulling out my feathers in worry." The bird patted her dress, all his concern washed away with relief, "But I see he's kept his word."

"Word? What word?" Yolie glanced behind her, noticing Ken hiding away, giving her space with her digital partner. "He promised not to harm you, and now I can see he's a mon of his word."

"Of course he is. He's been nothing but hospitable, if not cranky, to me." They both gave teasing snickers, Yolie stood, turning to Ken with her head held high, "Thank you, for all you've ever done for me and my friends." Her modest words forced the angel to bow his head, giving her the impression he was smiling in the darkness.

"Anything for you Yolie." Ken's voice was strained, small and fragile as he waved his hand in the air, bringing the remaining lights to flicker to life. The entire room became illuminated, leaving Yolie to clasp a hand to her gapping mouth. All her friends partners were there, sitting comfortably in trances on the floor. They resembled cloudy eyed statues, chest's slowly rising for intakes of breath, watching something distant beyond sight.

Ken only had to give a mental command and they all blinked to life. Veemon stretched out, yawning like he had been in a dream state.

Gatomon scratched, tentamon fluttered his wings, all of them working muscles as if they hadn't used them in years, which Yolie wouldn't doubt. And like on hawkmon, they all had a black feather somewhere on their body.

"Yolie?" Augomon left his mouth wide open, surprised to see her here.

The others simultaneously turned, stunned to find their old friend awaiting them. In a rush, they piled to hug her, asking why she was there, how she came, why she was in a dress and other such things. And with each question, she hugged everyone of them in greetings. "I've missed you all so much." Yolie cooed softly, tears smearing down to trickle onto their bobbing heads.

"You're not safe here." Patamon yelped, along with the others, "He'll find you. That heartless tyrant that's been destroying the digital world." But that only caused her to laugh, shaking her head in disapproval. "This isn't a laughing matter! Senmon will kill you." Armodilomon scanned the room, now taking notice to the figure filling up the door. "It's him!"

The other digimon spun around, taking on fighting stances to protect Yolie with their life. "Don't come any closer."

"Together we'll beat you old school."

"You'll have to get through us if you want to hurt Yolie."

Ken just crossed his arms over his broad chest, tilting his head in amusement as he allowed his sights to travel over each determined face, then up to Yolies. "Well, I don't think that's very fair. Thirteen against one. I don't see how you'll ever win."

Yolie burst out laughing, catching most off guard. "You guys, he's the one that brought you all here."

"Yeah we know. He's the one that imprisoned us for ump ting years." Gabumon snorted.

Yolie snapped a disapproving pout towards the dark one, with him to only shrug his shoulders nonchalantly. "They were a bother." Was his only defense.

Shaking her head, the girl took up the closest one's, keeping them from going in an all out battle, that she predicted they'd lose. "Well I'm not afraid of him!" Veemon shouted, leaping forth to smash a head butt attack towards Ken's stomach. The angel only held out his hand, halting the attack with ease. It never even cause the master to flinch, just having to hold the squirming menace steadily in his grasp.

Ken brought the little blue dragon up to his sights, smirking at the fidgeting mon in his clutch. "Veemon, you're really annoying. If you don't behave I'll have to put you back into a trance again." That shallow threat put the fear into the digimon's soul. Veemon quickly zipped his lip, agreeing to do what ever it was senmon wanted.

"Now," Ken began, tossing veemon into the group of others, "Yolie, don't you have something to tell them?" That quickly got her to clap her hands together, announcing to them the great news about Kari and Davis. Veemon rubbed his skull, hooting of how Davis learned all his moves from him. The others were so ecstatic that the presence of the dark angel of death was completely forgotten.

"I wish we could see it." Ivymon sighed, with the faces of all the digimon to fall. "Oh, well... " Yolie began, trying to lighten the mood again, "Maybe, if we ask Ke... I mean, senmon, really nicely, he'll let you guys go."

"What about you?" gatomon asked, stroking Yolie's hand with her paw. The human girl only shook her head, trying to blink back the cloudiness, giving her eyes a glassy appearance. "I-I can't. I made a promise to him." All the listeners frowns furrowed.

Hawkmon gazed up at the angel, suddenly aware that Ken couldn't meet his gaze. Not a sound was uttered, only the whisper of the black feathers could be heard as Ken ruffled them out of habit.

Yolie wouldn't ask that of Ken. She knew her freedom wasn't really her own any more, but belonged to another to do with as he pleased. So she refused to ask, knowing he would never grant her that wish. He had promised to be kind, to deal gently with her, to give her anything within his reach, but she was never to ask for that. This she knew, they both knew.

And so, with a heavy heart, Yolie implored in a fading voice, "Will you let them see the wedding?"

It was a shot in the dark. He had every right to shake his head in refusal. To lock them back into what ever prison they had come from and throw away the key. To know he could put his foot down and deny this, like he should, and expect complete compliance, sent jolts of foreboding racing down the little digimon's spins.

Loose in the human world, they were just as dangerous to him when it came to their partners and digital vices. That was the reason he had separated them in the first place, closing every door leading to this world. It was logical, a strategy to protect his own interest's.

But Yolie's eyes... damn those hopeful eyes! Those pleading, leaking, bewitching things.

'Stop looking at me like that, I can't. I can't damn it!'

Grinding his teeth, Ken snapped his focus away. Nothing but helplessness rested in her eyes, the same that reflected in his own. But... 'Damn her.' Ken hissed, forcing his thoughts well away from hers. All her emotions ignited, brought to life on her face and in her tiny voice.

She knew either way, she wouldn't be allowed to go with her friends. Her life outside of this castle had ended when she entered it, which she already excepted. She didn't blame him any more, didn't hold a grudge but graciously bowed without objection. And now, the pressure was left upon the angels shoulders. Leaving his heart bare, spilling to the dagger she was reading to stab him with.

To take a risk, for the sake of another, or remain safe and live with the hazardous out come. Either one could blow up in his face.

All were hushed, as it always was in this vehement place. Only the breath of the party at present was audible, and the thumping heart of the girl he cherished, the plea she continued to echo like a mantra. Ken clenched and unclenched his claws, stiffening his wings and relaxing them until her thoughts fell silent into his mind.

'Please Ken, if you can, let them go. They wont harm anyone. Let them stay with their partners so they may live in peace.' Let me go, she whispered as an after thought, unaware that it was even conjured.

_'You want this?' His head automatically snapped to bore holes into her body._

Yolie gulped, nodding her head.

_'What you just thought, you want?'_

Again she confirmed this, sweat building on her temples. His voice wasn't the same anymore. It was hard, bitter, like the hollowness in his glare. And all the hostility she felt simmering just below the surface was directed at her.

_'Do YOU want to go?'_

Sweeping a hand to her throat, Yolie subconsciously tried to protect her neck, unable to move or speak. She didn't know how to respond, what to say. A part of her wished to fling itself into his arms, promising never to leave him in the darkness alone. Another pulled away, lurking just out of his reach, praying to fly into the world she once knew. That was the part that made her hesitate for only a moment until her heart confirmed itself, stating it's true wants, it's need to be in his arms.

But that hesitation cost her dearly, the girl was barely able to sort her thoughts before all the warmth that had once rested within Ken's eyes melted and froze into shards of ice.

Stepping forth from the cold clutches of darkness, the little digimon froze in place as the angel glided over to the computer wires. He plugged only one in, with all watching him skim into files upon the glowing screen. He had torn his focus away from her, resting his attentions only on the computer, unable to allow his emotions to rebuke. Ken was severing himself from Yolie's mind, she knew this with disdain. The completion she once knew slowly leaked away, leaving Ken retreating from her soft fancies until he was numb inside.

Finally, in a crackle and burst of light, a portal formed before their very eyes.

They all gapped, open mouths wide. Ken unplugged himself, his back to the group, "It will only stay open for a short while. If you want to go, I suggest you do it now."

The others were speechless. Was he really letting them go? Just like that?

Waving his hand in the air, the black feathers peeled away from their skin, flying high into the air, then landing stiffly on the ground by their feet. He had no control over them any more. They were truly free from this world. Every tie severed, all left to the open arms of freedom.

Veemon was the first to whoop in victory, dancing around while the others thanked their once merciless tormentor in what little way they could. Though, it was enough of a shock to render most speechless. They had only dreamt of such an opportunity, in the relapses of when they had full control over their bodies, never expecting to bade their imprisonment fair well.

Without a backwards glance, Ken walked briskly out of the room, not even acknowledging Yolie's merriment. "Wait." She called, running to catch up to her master.

Ken didn't stop until she tugged on his arm, her breath heavy in pants. She smiled fondly to him, but he didn't return it. His irises were focused strait ahead, never straying to her grip. "Ken... "

"Don't." He spat, yanking the appendage away. She was caught off guard, drawing back at the play of anger flaring in his features.

"But I-"

"Don't say anything to me. No thank you'd, no gratitude. Just don't." Was he truly mad at her? Did she ask too much of him to let them go? Surely hawkmon would tell the rest not to try and rescue her, and all would work out.

Kari and Davis would get married, the others finally living out their lives without worrying about someone destroying their world. And she... Yolie didn't like dwelling much on this subject. Sure, Ken could give her a very comfortable life, and true she did care for him deeply, almost to say love, but she would never be free from this place. It bound her, along with Ken.

She would remain the servant, he the master. And that is what she expected, until she was old and gray. It hurt to think that her family had to go on without her, that her friends try to make paths for themselves and have children of their own, and what really stung the most was that she would never be apart of their lives ever again. Perhaps Ken might allow her to write to them via e-mail, but that was pushing his good graces.

Ken's shoulders shook. Hearing those thoughts she imagined he couldn't hear. The one's she pushed aside, hoping never resurfaced, the one's she never voiced. He was a fool to think she could be truly happy here... with him. 'This is only a pretty prison. A prison.' Those were his thoughts long ago.

"You did this." Ken began, a low rumble building behind his quacking voice.

"You did this to me. Made me think... made me feel... " His hand went up to his chest, pressing the area his heart dwelt. The cracking of it was only heard by his ears, forcing his glare to grow hotter on the girl responsible. "You want to leave, to go home to your 'precious' family."

The words were so potent, venomous down to each syllable. "No.."

"I HEARD you!" Ken pulled away from her, his fangs bared in their intimidating length. "You played me all along, made me pity you. Made me want to give you anything in this world. You were just tricking me! You never felt anything did you!"

"No, that's not.."

"Get away! Just go already! I can't stand to look at you anymore, I can't... " Ken brought one hand up to his eyes, turning away to hide the tears dangling dangerously from his lashes. He knew she didn't really want to stay, that it was all a lie, a way to get into his good graces. And manipulating him had been so easy for her, because sadly, he had been so willing to believe that someone, anyone, could some how find it in their heart to love him. But it had been a lie, he thought, a sad, hopeless means to an end.

He wasn't listening to her, mentally or verbally. Why was he acting like this, pushing her away, shutting her out? "Ken, that's not true. I care for you, I really do."

It nearly made him laugh, bitterly, but he felt his stomach rebel if he attempted. "You've been wanting to return all this time. I felt it, but... but I didn't want to... I kept telling myself that you would just forget. That I could fill anything you missed."

She didn't know what to say, what to do. "Go home." He ordered, "Go back to you're damn family, your fucking digi destines! Where you belong."

Yolie shook her head, biting her lip to hold down the inner quakes. He was letting her go, releasing her right along with the others, but for all the wrong reasons. Couldn't he feel her love for him? How much it would hurt to let go again, to say good-bye? "B-but.. I want to stay."

"Liar! You're lying! Lying!" He clasped both hands over his ears, shutting her out. His lids clenched, grinding his teeth to hold down his inward torment. The screams that brewed, the energy sparking forth from his body in hisses. "You've hated me from the start. You could never feel anything for me but... REPULSION! You hate me now. I should have known, should have dug deeper into your mind to know. Leave me, just go already!" 'My love only disgusted you.'

She wanted him to stop yelling, to just think and remember the sweet words they shared, the moments of tenderness, the TRUTH that he was refusing to see or hear. At one time, she did want to leave this awful place. But not now, not after discovering Ken, the prison he had built around himself. She had almost reached him, almost touched his soul and shown him the outside. Yet he was pushing her away now. He couldn't see that it was natural to want her family, her friends. To tell them she was well and happy.

As his heaving began to lesson, his tightened muscles relaxed for only a second, Yolie made her move to reach for his shoulder. "I'm letting you go." Ken whispered, jerking his head away from her presence. "You're no longer my prisoner."

Yolie hugged him slowly, the water rolling down her cheek.

"Don't make me go. I love them, but I lo... "

Ken pushed her away, still unable to look her in the face. "You don't want to stay. You don't want to live with a MONSTER."

"You're not-"

"Go away, go." His voice was so firm. And unforgiving.

Nothing she said could get him to come back to her. He was completely dead inside, not wanting to even look at the girl he cherished so dear. Yolie didn't know what hurt most, being cast aside or being hated for no reason at all. She had thought they crossed this bridge, saw through the storm and came out stronger, but Ken wasn't over it. He was still locked in his darkness's clutch, a victim by his own forged chains.

HE was the only one unable to look past his face, not her.

Stepping forth, Yolie managed to have him face her, watching the way his eyes burned into the floor, the spark of life fully extinguished behind the mask. She extended both hands, reaching for his face in a slow motion.

The angel didn't even jerk away, didn't respond what so ever. He just bowed his body when she brought his head down to her level, inspecting the blankness filling his features. A red stream swept down from behind the mask, dripping lazily down to his chin. Yolie watched his expression for any changes as she slowly began to lift the porcelain concealment away. The only thing to change was his black lips, the lower one trembling.

And so, the fallen angel now lay before innocent eyes, unmasked. Yolie wanted to weep, at the handsome face that lay before her. He was everything her dreams had promised, grown into masculine triumph, with the scar to fall down his right side like a slash of scarlet lightening. The contrast between pale flesh to the streaking scar was uncanny, but beautiful. She knew its story, and loved it even more. Ken was so magnificent, why did he ever think to conceal himself? Why would he hide this face of an anguished angel?

Her heart yearned, body trembled.

Another tear came tumbling down from his hazy orbs, drowning in the red pools. "Oh, Ken... " Was the only thing she could whisper, the only words to fleetingly escape. Her free hand cradled his chin, stroking the moisture on his face, wanting to wipe away all the sadness and pain lining his unsteady frown.

The angel swiftly caught her fingers, quivering by her damning touch. Steadily, giving in to the pure sensation of her love, Yolie pressed her lips delicately upon his, branding his body and soul. He never responded to the feather light affection, but neither did he pull away.

It was like Ken was lost to the world, the battle inside his mind not yet fought and won. But Yolie didn't wait for him to decide what was the right thing to do, deepening the last candy kiss she would ever know. It was bitter sweet, warm and cold at the same time. A conflict between many sensations, all together puzzling.

Yolie swore never to share this kind of pleasure with anyone but her love, her true love. She wanted to tell this stubborn male so badly, to spill her heart out, to bleed the raw emotions out for him to see, but what would it prove? Ken didn't want to believe, didn't have enough faith in their bond anymore. Perhaps it would take him another seven years to realize where they stood, or maybe even more. She would wait, even if he never came to terms, and they grew withered and old, dieing separate, she would wait... and pray.

The portal was reading itself to close, hawkmon being the one to poke his head in the hall and point this out. He was hesitant, like the others that had heard the screams, wanting to help, knowing they didn't hold the power to do so. This was an awkward situation they knew naught of, leaving them standing only to piece bits and pieces together, left confused, refusing to ask questions.

Reluctantly, Yolie pulled away, still able to taste him, his giving lips. How she would miss this. The tender feelings they nurtured together, the sweet paradise of his mouth claiming hers. And what she felt she would miss the most, was the all to familiar gentleness Ken had given only to ask for her smile in return.

With a heavy heart, the girl slipped her hand out of his, not a word exchanged, not a fare well, no good-byes. Neither wished to say those words to the other, unable to find the courage to cast the other aside forever in body and mind. Yolie could only mouth her love for him, knowing he couldn't see it. Knowing he wouldn't read it in her thoughts.

Skirting her way into the control room, the girl vanished with a hiss and crackle. And then, in the bleakness of despair, there was nothing. The portal was gone, and so was his heart, his sweet.

Ken managed to break the stoic spell he had placed himself under, reclaiming his motor functions long enough to touch an idle finger to his lips. They were warm, tingling, and moist. She had kissed him. Seen the ugliness of his face, the violent dark stain upon his soul, and yet she had still managed to find it in her heart to kiss him.

He had screamed at her. He had sent her away in anger.

He had released her.

And for what?

Glancing down at his hand, Ken parted his fingers to gaze at the feather lifted from her flesh. It was so soft, like her kisses. It sparkled, even in the darkest of shadows. And it once belonged to a girl that had more love coursing through her tiny body than there were stars in the sky, sands on the beach. And he had chased her away.

Another tear fell down the length of his face, a solemn smile reaching his mouth.

It was surely a feather from an angel, a real one sent from Gods own kingdom, glowing white as the silver moon beams above. Her love, Ken realized, had purified the darkness.

And he had let her go...

**Vixon: So sad, I know. It sucks being confused. I know from experience, there for I can kinda sympathize for the angel. And Yolie… man she's not having a good week. **

**But if you're confused about some parts, don't be. Ken is just having one of those….. Awkward moments. It's kind of ingrained into his brain that no one wants anything to do with him, much less love him, so it's not all his fault for blowing up. He just thinks she's been playing him for a sucker all this time, but no one can blame her for missing her family. If only he could understand that.**

**So review what you think, take bets if he'll get the girl in the end. Ya never know…. (evil laughter in the background)**


	15. Home again

**Vixon: thanks for all the reviews. It's getting down to the last few chapi's and me so happy. Won't be long until this puppy is all over. (sprouts a few tears) Sad that all good things must come to an end.**

**I'm thinking maybe three more chapters to go, then I'm finishing up Tainted Innocence for my Inuyasha fic. So don't get to down.**

**I can't wait until I complete all my stories. Then I can start on my own original things. I'm not giving away anything about it, but lets just say all my fanfics are for practice for when I try my hand at getting stuff published. So enjoy the last few chapters of Shredded Hearts.**

**Ch14 _"Home Again"_**

In a blinding flash of light, Yolie found her body hurled head long into the group of little digi bodies. Though she had left her heart behind, and the tears she had shed along the way were lost in the portal, she still felt that some how, whilst they were traveling between worlds, she had heard the roar of the fallen angel follow them.

It forced the empty place inside her chest to swell larger, another piece of her soul lost in the transfer.

The scream had almost sounded like a word, but she didn't know, couldn't quit decipher it. At first she was unsure of it's meaning, but when Yolie had strained her ears hard enough, it nearly resembled a plea. One releasing all the anger and sorrow, hatred and hopelessness in one dieing word.

'Yolie.'

Had Ken shouted this while she left, in anguish of regret? Or perhaps it was only something in the farthest recesses of her tangled mind when she had wanted to stay, despite what he said. She didn't know. She just didn't know.

Dashing away following tears with the end of her dress, Yolie picked herself off the ground long enough to gasp out in shear shock. This was Cody's house, his room. And with further inspection, those legs kicking from underneath all the digimon bodies WAS Cody.

That must have been a real shocker, to play monster car mêlée and ended up a cushion for so many butts flying out your screen.

Leaping up, the girl pushed aside her friends to pull the boy out, repeating over and over of how sorry she was. But Cody was a forgiving type, the kind she really liked, sitting up long enough to brush back his bangs and gap at the girl. "Oh my God in heaven. YOLIE!"

His face went from utter surprise to total excitement, changing in a course of two seconds. "How... what... and the digimon... ?" For once, he was rendered speechless, or to talk in ramble questions. This forced the girl to only give a solemn little laugh, launching herself into her friends arms. It felt like forever since she last hugged him, which by all standards was probably only a week ago.

"I've missed you Cody." Yolie mumbled out through his GAP shirt, twisting her fingers in the fabric, desperately trying to remain steady.

Cody, like a girls best friend always behaves, just patted her back, still unable to recover from the shock of a girl and eleven digimon falling out of his computer while he was on it. It was enough that he seriously considered he needed to find a change of underwear.

"Are you okay? And what on earth are you wearing?" The boy only managed to grab a quick gander at the surprisingly sheik outfit she modeled in, slightly thrown off from all the revealing flesh. The quality of the material was also eye catching, but his eyes always wandered back up to her bulging breast's. This was something he didn't remember his friend had.

Maybe the digital world does a body good. Real good! Cody wiped his nose on his sleeve before Yolie could see what her appearance was doing to him. It was embarrassing enough to be squished, now he was conjuring fantasies about a friend he just KNEW was going to kill him if she ever found out.

Hawkmon was the first to finally catch a breather, grumbling of hormonal boys gawking at his partner, "She was at a party. You like the dress?" There was a hint of fatherly sarcasm laced in the question, quickly registering in the boys brain and snapping him out of the erotica world.

The shy boy nodded vigorously, finally pulling the girl arms length away so he might get some answers... and not have her plastered to him. "You want to start at the beginning?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In no time at all, Yolie had poured her heart out. Going through at least five boxes of clenax, two hankies, and one tub of chocolate ice cream, she successfully managed to spill her guts to her friend. And with complete patience, Cody listened to it all, agreeing with her on some parts, confused at others. But he never interrupted, and never asked for the girl to fill in on more details when large gaps surrounded a majority of the story. Especially when it contained parts of steamy romance between her and her captor.

The other digimon were just as fascinated to hear this as Cody, though hawkmon kinda knew what was going on.

"... and he just sent me off, with the others for Kari's wedding." At the end, Yolie was spent. She felt ten years older, but not the least bit wiser for the experience.

Cody merely sat in thoughtful silent, chewing his cheek to concentrate on details. He eventually turned to rest his sights on her, a spoon sticking out of his friends mouth, "He just let you go, after all that?"

She nodded, scrunching up further into a tight ball of pity. "Does he expect you back some time? He has a portal for his own expense?"

"No, he pretty much told me never to come back. And his computer can do anything. ANYTHING he tells it too."

Standing, the boy thus began to pace around his room, contemplating over this knowledge. "And are you sure this is the same digimon that's been destroying the digital world?"

For a moment, Yolie didn't answer. Should she tell him? Ken WAS taking it over, piece by tiny piece, shutting the portals down, imprisoning rebels left and right, but he had changed... hadn't he? She hadn't seen him doing any of the tyrannical sort while she was there, never suspected him of continuing his work behind her back while she was a servant.

And true, Ken was a bad ass for seven years, but would he pick up where he left off now that she was gone, out of the picture for good?

Yolie didn't know. Didn't want to phanthom the possibility he would still be under wage to conquer. 'He's changed. He's changed, I know he has.' Biting her nails, the girl decided best not to answer uncomfortable questions. They might come back to bite her AND Ken in the ass.

Cody stood there, awaiting an answer. Her silence was pressing, leaving him to speculate that perhaps he had struck a raw nerve some how. Yolie was rather easy to read, and who else, besides hawkmon, knew her better than he?

It was possible, he concluded, for a hostage to grow attached to the captor over time. It had happened many times before, with the villain filling the head of the innocence with sob stories, and there lay the protectiveness of the prisoner towards the imprisoner. It was like some sort of dependence played upon each other. But... Yolie was genuinely concerned for this creature. This thing that was reeking havoc with systems and the natural order.

"You shouldn't protect this thing, Yolie. He deserves to be punished for the wrongs he committed, you know this."

Yolie blinked up at him, the digimon staring at her to await a response. "No, Cody. I know what your saying, and I know its true for most. But he's been punished enough." She was the only one to know the full truth, the identity of Ken, the remorse and years of loneliness that had taken its toll on his soul.

The only question remained, should she reveal this to the others?

It would be a betrayal, in some form or another, but they would at least know. And, perhaps if she was lucky, sympathies for the creature that was Ken.

"Cody, he was good to me."

"He screamed at you." Biomon said, looking some what shocked to hear Yolie sticking up for that monster. Yolie nodded, but she also shook her head at the same time. "He was confused, and hurt, for something I did. He thinks that... " She clamped her lips shut.

This was getting deep. Too deep for them to know. She was about to say he thought I didn't love him, but how would they take that if one asked if she did in deed love that monster and she say yes? They would lock her up in a loony bin for fraternizing with the enemy.

Appealing to Cody's conscience, Yolie tried another approach, one she was sure he would think over before condemning, and one way to not reveal Ken's full identity in the process, "He's been through so much grief, ever since the digimon emperor reigned. Please understand that he's not evil. He only thinks he has to be because... because he's different from the rest. He thinks that no one can understand him. That he's all alone and no one could ever care about him."

"But you do?" Cody crossed his arms, sitting on the edge of his computer desk. Yolie slowly confirmed this, wiping away another falling tear. "I still care for him. He's so very kind underneath it all. He did everything he could to make me comfortable and content."

She waved a hand towards her dress, but that only forced the boy to look down at her bandaged hand and shoulder, grimacing from the exposed injuries. "I see." He sniffed, leading the girl to faintly turn away, unconsciously rubbing the old wounds.

"It wasn't his fault."

"Than who's fault was it? Did he do it to you! Did he beat you and make up for it later with gifts and promises! The sleaze."

He had, Yolie concluded, but she wouldn't admit that, not even to the calm understanding Cody. And like he had promised, Ken had been true to his word when he apologized and vowed never to harm her again. It was an accident, one she brought both times upon herself.

"I know what I'm talking about." Yolie answered a bit hotly.

"You've been missing for nearly a week. I think that somehow he's managed to brain wash you." Cody tapped his fingers on the desk, each tap emphasized as the chewing out ensued, "The Yolie I know wouldn't take this abuse, the Yolie I know wouldn't be making excuses for something that doesn't deserve them. And the Yolie **_I _**know wouldn't be balling over the enemy."

But Cody had forgotten one teeny tiny detail. That not too long ago, she had wept for their enemy -Ken- and to this day she was still distrait inside for that boys dark fait.

Shaking his head, the Cody thus scratched his neck, making his way towards the phone. "I'm gonna call you're parents, and tell them... something. I don't know. Did you ever get around to explaining the digital world?"

She kind of made an approving sound, lids falling sleepily. She knew the results once everyone discovered her return, and the ear lashing she received from Cody was only the tip of the ice burg. She shuttered to imagine what her parents were going to say, knowing that somehow it wasn't going to be a sweet reunion after they gushed over her with welcome kisses and hugs.

"Then that'll make it a lot easier when they ask questions that I don't have the answers for... yet. In fact, why don't you tell them. After wards, we can contact the others and call a meeting."

"Meeting, what for?" She faintly knew what was running in Cody's head, though she was no mind reader like Ken.

Cody Inhaled a deep breath, turning towards the phone to dial her home number, not answering. And no matter how much she nervously poked and pribed, he refused to explain himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next few days were hell on earth.

No one would leave her be, and her parents had practically ripped her head off for that little stunt, which she tried to tell them that it wasn't entirely her fault to begin with. But you know parents. She had only rolled her eyes and refused to tell them anything during the lectures. Not the brightest move, for she soon found herself grounded for a century, but one that didn't divulge the secrets that should remain in that far away castle.

Her friends weren't any less forgiving either, scolding, patronizing, talking to her like she was some little misbehaving child in need of instruction. And this was when her parents allowed her interaction with other life forms.

'Exchanged one prison cell for another.' Yolie inwardly grumbled, looking around the apartment she was forbidden to leave. Oh how she hated this. Hate being treated like an ignorant imbecile in her own home.

'I'd rather be back with Ken and serving him dinner right about now.' The girl fussed over that image, it was a thought that continually resurfaced, never giving her much time to consider anything else. It was a horrible plague, but one she sighed contently over every time it clicked into her mind.

Yolie found herself laying her head back on the chair, closing her eyes picturing the still night's in Ken's study. The gentle glow of the fire bounced upon the walls, casting a loving glow to those it touched. The warm eyes that had once followed her every movement haunted the fantasy, the angel smiling sheepishly behind his scarf while listening to the tales of an imaginative young girl. And his face. Yolie would never forget the handsome little devil that shadowed her dreams.

He followed her everywhere she went, a puppy casting those helpless eyes on a stricken girl, begging for a home to live and love in. The very idea forced a soft sigh from her, Yolie was nearly able to feel the illusion built within herself.

But all good things must come to an end, she supposed, snapping from her reverie, withstanding another ear thrashing from Davis.

This was getting to the breaking point for her, hearing over and over of how careless she was and how worried they were. This seemed to be all Davis had to say while he lounged on her couch, raving in his stupid Davis way. God how she wanted to throw her chair at that boy! Maybe that would shut him up.

Clamping her hands over her ears, Yolie nearly screamed in utter rage. This was it, the straw that broke the camels back, and her patience, "Will you guys just shut the hell up already! I know, I was taken captive and held there for a week. I was there, you weren't, so get the hell off my back already."

Shocked silence.

They all froze, not expecting Yolie to blow up like that. She was usually so calm and pleasant, but somehow, in that crazy world she had been forced to endure, she had... changed.

"Yolie, we were just worried about you." T.K. cautiously rubbed her back, placing on that diplomatic smile of his. The one that might have worked on her the first five minutes of all the 'how could you just run off,' or the classic one that got her dander up 'we were so worried.'

Those lines were getting old fast.

She growled, breaking free from human contact. "You think I didn't know that? Why else would I have sent e-mails telling you to get over it?"

"Well they weren't very helpful. You said you were with friends." Kari threw in, masking the surprise.

Yolie finally pushed away from the recliner, with hawkmon right behind her. She didn't utter a word, afraid that if she did, she would give THEM a piece of her mind. And they might not like the things she had to say when she was angry.

Stomping onto the balcony, Yolie slammed the glass door harder than necessary. "I WAS with friends." She whispered, teeth clenched to hold in the rage seeping under her flesh.

Hawkmon had long ago regrown his feathers, flapping up to the railing next to his friends side. "I know you were. But they don't understand how special a bond you had with him." Good ole hawkmon.

"They never will. Because he severed it when he practically chased me into that portal." She dropped her face into her hands, sniffling silently to herself as the bird nuzzled his beak into her shoulder. "Don't think of that now. Don't remember what he said to you, just remember what he truly meant."

"Yeah, what he really wanted to say was, 'you stupid, insignificant bitch! I hate you I hate you!' That's what he wanted to say. He might have, but I was pretty stunned for the moment to remember details."

Hawkmon only humpfed, plopping down to stare off into the city lights. "I don't think that's what he meant at all."

The bird argued, hushed for a few moments, waiting patiently for Yolie to give in to advice instead of her breaking emotions. "I think, by the way I saw him, and the way you look now, he didn't mean any of those words."

"Then..."

Hawkmon didn't give her a chance to interrupt, "He really loves you Yolie. It's not hard for anyone to fall for you, but he did, and hard. It doesn't matter to me, or anyone else for that matter, and if it does, you shouldn't listen to their complaints because what do they know of what went on there? I know you were happy, just by the way you glowed that night. It's not up to anyone to tell you how you should feel for others. It's always your decision."

He turned to stare her in the eye, a steady, wise flicker rested within his sights. An age old voice that no one thought existed in the over protective bird. "You really should have all this figured out by now Yolie, that it's you're own instincts you should follow and not someone else's."

For a scant instant, Yolie was rendered unable to breath, to think. All that her partner had said made more sense than anything in the world. "I... I kinda knew, he was only hurt at the time." Yolie swiped at a tear, rubbing her nose before continuing. "I must have sounded desperate, and he only thought it was because I wanted to go with all of you... which I did. I secretly wanted to be there for when Kari and Davis walked hand in hand. I wanted to congratulate them, to see them start a family. But I would have returned." Her expression left nothing to discredit.

"I love him."

With that, hawkmon only nodded, understanding her in ways no one else ever could. "Then why are you sitting here crying? What are YOU going to do about it?"

Yolie slammed a fist into the railing, determination sparked in her eyes. "Find a way back and MAKE him see the truth! He'll listen to me, or so help me, I'll tie him down, gag him, and force him to believe me."

"Isn't that a little much?"

"It's never too much when you're talking about love."

Storming back into the living room, all eyes were set on her, some being a little scared by the screaming going on outside. "Are you alright Yolie?"

"Never better. Just fine. Now Izzy," She pointed a finger at the boy genius, forcing him to ready himself for a fatal blow. "Y-yes?"

"Hawkmon told me earlier you have a portal in you're computer. I need to use it." She left nothing to argue with, and frankly, no one really wanted to quarrel with her when she looked like Godzilla ready to breath fire.

Some exchanged worried glances, while others crossed themselves before Izzy responded. "W-well, Yolie, I kinda do..."

"Than let me use it."

He stumbled over his tongue, stiffening his leg muscles in case he had to make a run, "We... all of us..." Izzy cleared his throat, knowing that if he should die, let it be in a professional manner, "It was a unanimous vote, from the entire digi-destined group, that when we use the portal, you should stay behind."

Nothing.

And then... "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN STAY BEHIND!" Now she was really spitting fire, and Tai was the unfortunate human shield for everyone.

"Calm down." Matt and Joe practically had to hold her down, though many colorful, unladylike words sprouted out of her mouth at what she thought about that idea.

"It was in you're best interest." Izzy held his lap top in front of his face, eyes closed in fear. And poor Tai, he laid helpless and burnt on the floor.

"What do any of you know about MY best interest! Huh! You're not keeping me here, and you're NOT going with me when I go."

"Yolie, you're unstable right now. You can't stop this threat on you're own, no matter what he did to you in the digital world."

For a moment, Yolie nearly laughed because of that. Is that what they thought? That she wanted revenge? Good God they were way off, and Izzy had practically called her crazy. "I'm not unstable Iz, I know what I have to do and it doesn't involve any of you."

"You should listen to her." Hawkmon added, but he was left ignored, just like his partners pleas.

The others shook their heads, whispering, "Poor Yolie." She really wished her hands were free so she may kill her friends. It would have solved a lot of complications.

"Stop pitying me." She spat, "I'm not crazy, and I don't want to fight. If you just let me go I can fix all of this. He needs me." Those last three words are what eventually lead them to condemn her. Yolie knew this, just by their expressions alone, that they defiantly took her for a loony. She bit her tongue, wishing to call back those damning words. But alas, it is never possible, and now Matt and Joe's grip only firmed to keep her under control.

"Yolie," Davis began, shaking his head as if in sympathy, "We're doing this for you're own good."

And with that, she was promptly escorted and thrusted into her room. Before she could find the footing to fling herself at the door, someone had placed a chair against the knob on the other side, preventing it from opening no matter how hard she pushed and shoved.

At first, Yolie screamed for her parents to save her, to allow her a chance to save her friends from their foolishness before they ended up destroying Ken. She yelled until her lungs huffed in strain, scratched, pounded, pleaded to any ear that would listen, but knew it was all in vain.

They most defiantly thought she was hysterical now, at the rants she spewed. They wouldn't have much to doubt now, confirming that she had finally lost it.

Her face was red, voice raw and hoarse, hands throbbing by the struggle to move an unmovable object. Tears began to leak down her chin, splashing onto the plush carpet.

Falling to her knee's in defeat, the girl thus held her face in-between her hands, begging them to let her explain. She did this for ten minutes, trying to speak her case to those she once thought she knew. But all was silent on the other end, not a sound came from the opposite side. Her friends must have convinced her parents that she needed time alone to calm down, which in all reality she did. That at least was expectable, but it didn't excuses them for locking her up like a deranged animal.

Her throat began to close, choking the girl when she felt so betrayed. They shouldn't have to question her motives. She knew what she had to do, and they were just preventing her from her goal, just like before. Just like seven years ago when Ken sat in his crashing base, alone and in pain, transforming into what he is now.

'Ken... Ken... Ken...' It was all she could think of, all she thought about while trapped within her own room. The worry of what they would do to him, of what HE would do when they attacked. She gasped once realization struck her. Yolie didn't know which thought was worse, the fact they could try to destroy her one true love, or of Ken most assuredly destroying them. He could, so easily with out hesitation, she knew this. Ken could carry out the deed in ruthless pleasure, the magnitude of this epiphany ripping a strangled cry from Yolie's lips.

But... if they took her with them, she might be able to spare her friends lives. Ken would listen to her, he had too. At least, she hoped. The chances of her joining up with the other destined seemed slim to none if she managed to escape this room.

Burying her face deeper into her hands, Yolie lost all the ability to keep the tears at bay. 'Oh God, their going to die.' It was like a damn just broke loose inside her, overflowing to gush from reddened eyes.

Why did she have to be so helpless? Why was she so lost and defenseless without her angel?

A few minutes passed, after much time to gather herself, with muffled voices to enter the weeping girls ears. It was her friends, speaking in a way she had to press her entire body up against the door to make out what it was they said.

And then, as if on cue, Yolie's eyes burst wide open, saucer size when Tai voiced his command, "Tonight. We'll take this s.o.b. out for what he's done to her."

She clapped a feeble hand to her mouth. They were going to go now, to die for nothing. Yolie shook her head from side to side, not wanting to believe they would be that careless. They didn't know what they were up against, didn't know anything about the opponent they would be going head long to die up against. And if their digimon hinted earlier of the fury they were bringing down upon themselves then they weren't paying attention. Not even together could they hope to defeat Ken, especially when he had nothing holding him back. This she knew from the night she had tried to escape.

'I have to do something. I can't let them do this, I can't let Ken destroy my friends.'


	16. Lost

**vixon: mmmm, not the fight chapter, that comes in the next one, i promise. i'm just not that good at fight scenes so please dont get mad. and this has a little fluffy stuff and explains that YES Yolie doesn't have her digital vice. i forgot to write that in the last chapter so thanks for reminding me. **

**and I got a little... well... nothing too bad. you'll just have to read. don't get scared off cuz there aint nothing beyond just little hint hints. have fun reading and tell me what you think.**

**Ch15 _"Lost"_**

Shortly after eavesdropping on the others, hawkmon rapped on Yolie's door, quiet as a mouse when he did so. He leaned in, whispering his friends name, unsure if she had given up and fallen into a fitful sleep for the night.

He was relieved when her soft, sad voice answered. He had many things to discuss before the dawn broke, things to divulge that he knew she must have heard earlier. It wasn't hard to over hear Tai's voice when he half hazardly concocted battle plans consisting of storming the angel's base, with out really thinking things out in the fullest, and then having the other's begrudgingly agreed. The sounds carried in this apartment, which made hawkmon thankful he didn't have to speak very loud when communicating with Yolie.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," She piped, sniffling away the last of her tears, "Never better. And you?"

The bird just sighed in earnest, knowing that all seemed to be going to hell in a hand basket. He fluffed up his feathers, leaning stoically against the wooden frame, "Just making sure you didn't attempt climbing out the window and breaking your neck."

"I didn't think about that, maybe I should give it a go."

"I most certainly will not allow that." Hawkmon puffed up heatedly, ready to burst into her room to prevent such dangerous nonsense. But his fear and anger swiftly deflated when he heard the tinkling giggle on the other side. She had been teasing, and he was too wound up in a nervous wreck to notice. Oh yes, this day was something that was going to cause the bird to molt.

"Yolie, please don't scare me like that again. I thought you REALLY meant to try."

"If someone doesn't let me out soon, I defiantly will."

He was quiet for a while, letting his head droop down. There was no point in dodging subjects that both knew swam in the minds of the other. And to be frankly honest with himself, to see Yolie so miserable only forced him to regret she made contact with him in the first place on that fateful day when he was captured.

"Their getting ready you know. In you're father's study to depart."

"I figured they'd try some other place to make the portal." Yolie commented, ear pressed firmly against the door. Hawkmon was very hushed in his words, obviously having to whisper such information in fear of being discovered by the others. It's not that he was afraid of being punished, lord knew he could take a beating and survive, it was that he needed to know what really was going on between Yolie and senmon, and he had to know why she defended the angel of death so viciously. There was a bond, but why so strong in such a short amount of time? What loyalty did she owe the angel? He defiantly needed to know in order to figure out what side he should stand on.

Answering her question, the brown feather ball scrunched his shoulders, "Since you're house was the one that opened a portal, Izzy thinks its best to try here for his man made version. Something about geographic location, and the best spot for the right kind of energy like at the school. I don't know, when he talks I blank out."

That wasn't surprising, Yolie blandly thought rolling her eyes. She placed a hand against the door, whispering out that most people have trouble keeping up with Izzy's explanations.

"Yolie?"

"Yeah?" Here it comes.

"What is the true story of senmon? There is something you're not telling anyone, something that's eating you up inside. You can trust me, you know this."

'Oh, hawkmon.' Yolie mentally wanted to squeeze him into a feathery little hug. His voice was so forlorn, from just the thought that there was something she didn't trust even him with. He had always known her deepest secrets, and had always been her confidante, loyal to the very end. And what did she do to repay him? She kept him in the dark, just like the rest.

"I'm sorry hawkmon. You've been so patient with me, and I never told you." She bit her lip, breathing a heavy sigh to keep from collapsing into a ball of grief. Leaning her back against the door, she allowed her legs to slide this way and that, resting lazily across the floor as she stared up into her ceiling.

"He's not a digimon."

There, she admitted it. If Ken hated her for exposing him than so be it, but she couldn't hold in this mew any longer, especially from her dearest digital friend.

Hawkmon stammered, quickly regaining his wits to voice a protest, "W-what? How? He's human?"

She shook her head, making a disapproving sound. "He's half."

Yolie knew that didn't explain much, so she elaborated, starting seven years ago, the day the world fell apart, "You even know him hawkmon, as a boy... a human boy. But then... it all changed, he changed from someone sweet and caring, to a creature so vile everyone loathed him. Everyone... but me."

"Yolie, this can't be..."

"It is. We thought he was dead, but that's just what he wanted. To be dead. And for seven long years he's been left behind, forgotten, alone in his own prison. He became crueler, harder, stronger. And smarter. No portals, no digi-destined. No digi-destines, no memories. That's what he thought, what he kept telling himself while destroying everything in his path. He was heartless, soul blackened to fit his cold personality."

Yolie rested her forehead on her knee's, hugging her legs close to her chest. This hurt so much to tell, yet it had to be out in the open, to no longer chew away at her mind in guilt. It was truth, and it was a hard pill to swallow.

"But then," she wanted to stop, though her chest sent a jolting throb, forcing the girl to realize that this reality she had denied existed was closing in fast. And either way, if she remained quiet about this fact or voiced it, it would hurt. One because it was true and she had turned a blind eye for it and the other because keeping it locked inside only brought more guilt when she had to lie not only to herself, but to those she cherished dearly.

"But then, after all threats were contained, and you in his dungeon down below all life, I came along and ruined his plans." She paused, only to digest that, "I offered myself for you, and never regretted doing it."

"Senmon is..."

"Yeah. He thought he was covering his tracks, but I guess he couldn't stay away from old habits. Still kicks ass in soccer." They both gave subtle chuckles, though they were short lived. "After that, well... you know the rest from when I told Cody."

Hawkmon nodded, though she couldn't see his approving gesture. "But you didn't tell us ALL of it. Did you?"

She didn't even answer. She refused to deny anything, for that was a lie too. And hawkmon deserved more than that and not knowing.

"I didn't know why at the time he made me do it, stay by his side I mean. I was always forced to have breakfast and dinner with him, to listen to the things he said, by mouth or telepathy. I even made a bargain with him, as you already know, so he wouldn't read my mind."

Yolie gulped down a rather large sob, to remember those times that had once been so strange, yet she longed to have once again. Weird how much she missed what she no longer had. All those times she cursed Ken -or senmon at the time- for talking to her telepathically, reading the secret's she held. But she had never asked herself why he did it, why he WANTED to know her... until now.

"I never gave a second thought why. At first, when I hacked into his computer and found all the files concerning the digi-destined, I thought it was just a sick game for him. That he enjoyed having me do silly things for his amusement. But... he just wanted me to be there. To have someone, anyone, to talk too."

She couldn't take it anymore, Yolie groaned, sobbing wildly into her knee's. She was amazed if anyone could understand what she said while crying, but hawkmon never asked her to repeat anything, "He was so alone there, hawkmon. So afraid of himself, with no one. He was just so lonely he wanted to hurt others, to know he wasn't an invisible ghost. It was the only way he knew how. No one wanted to be near him, they always ran in horror, even when he stood by himself, longing for companionship."

Sadly, Yolie turned to face the door, just picturing the expression her little audience held, "Everyone but... me. And it was so quiet there. Deafening at times. I just wanted to cry in my room and never do anything else. That's how bad it was. No warmth, no love, it was just a hellish prison in that castle. But he remembered me."

She nearly laughed at herself, to think he somehow, out of all the years, remembered that annoying little girl that practically worshiped his every step. "He knew that I had once been nice to him, that I had tried to save him all those years ago. I think... that's what sparked his human side into life. When he realized it was me protecting you, he wanted someone to be that way for him."

"I see."

"He was jealous of you hawkmon, so he kept me there, shackled by his side. I didn't like him at first, I didn't want anything to do with him, but he grew on me. I slowly realized that he wasn't a monster at all. He was just... lost." Yolie took a breather before going on, wiping away the smudges on her cheeks, "He had hurt me once, but I was careless. You know this too. I should've just asked before trying to take his scarf off, and you can imagine the rest." She cradled the healing hand to her chest, the memory of his anger not as frightening as it once had been.

He had once reminded her of a vicious demon, determined to rip her limb from limb for such treason. But now, after much thought and soul searching, Yolie found that the wildness in his eyes had been purely fearful. Ken thought himself horrid in appearance, an abomination of God. 'He didn't want to scare me away.'

Batting her lashes, the conversation carried, "This is the part's I didn't tell, the one's that would have made Cody hate Ken even more. I finally figured out senmon's secret. All the clues pointed to it, one after another. I didn't want to believe them at first, but the evidence was clear. My shoulder, you may have noticed, wasn't by his hand. He saved me. He always wanted to protect me."

"I know."

"And that night, I wanted to go with you guys, he thought I wanted to abandon him. After everything, can you believe that?" Yolie didn't give hawkmon a chance to respond, "He has it so burned into his brain that no one could ever love him that he kicked me out of the digital world."

Her voice was a little heated, angry to recap obvious things. Yet slowly, with each calming breath she took, Yolie found her voice softening towards the hopeless fallen angel, "But I do, hawkmon. I really do. I want to tell him. I want to help him, heal him. God, this is tearing me up inside. He's going to kill the others and there's nothing I can do about it."

A scuffling echoed into her ears, then the door opened a crack. Hawkmon's bright eyes came into focus, along with his reassuring grin that always worked wonders for her. "No they wont, Yolie. We'll not let that happen."

With a squeal, a few tears, and a lot of loving put on the bird, Yolie squished him until no breath remained in his little brown body, praising her brave little hero.

"They've got the portal open, and the last person should be stepping through. I think they plan to return to earth when they defeat Ken and use his computer, but I'm not entirely sure. Izzy was explaining it. AND I CAN'T BREATH!"

Yolie kissed her digimon's beak, swiftly carrying him to her fathers study as the last hiss erupted into the room. When she and hawkmon arrived, the study was devoid of any life. Typical, they were late to do much of anything now.

Izzy's lap top was set on a desk, displaying the portal that buzzed from the screen. Wildly patting her clothes down, Yolie turned to her partner with enraged discouragement. "Shit." She spat, slamming a fist into the desk.

"W-what is it?"

"Ken has my digital vice. Damn it to hell." The girl threw her hands in the air, ready to pull that breathing fire trick again. Leave it to Ken to make absolutely sure she never came back. Curse that man. She was near to ripping the lap top to pieces and call the whole rescue mission off until hawkmon began poking the machine, a curious look mounting his face. "Why not just step through? It's worth a shot, and if we die, at least we died trying."

"That's so encouraging." Her expression was nothing less than sarcastic. Would the portal allow someone through without a digi-vice?

She tapped a finger to her chin, walking around the glowing hole to see precisely where it was it should drop the others off at. "Lets see." She didn't know exactly where Ken's castle was hidden, but she knew it was by some pretty big mountains. And her friends seemed to have the same idea since this doorway deposited them at the base of one large formation in particular. 'Perhaps Izzy had it narrowed down.'

Poking the mouse forward for a close up, Yolie scanned the geography with a keen eye. 'Let me think. There was a big meadow, a village not too far away, a forest to one side, surrounding mountains that built up the castle.' There, she was positive Ken's home was nestled in that section just east of where her friends had arrived.

"Yolie, the portals getting ready to close." Hawkmon's voice became panicked. "'Kay, hang on."

'If I can some how find a way to connect with Ken's computer...'

"Yolie dear..."

"Just a minute."

"You've got a few seconds."

"Almost got it... "

Poking her tongue out to one side, the sweat poured down the length of her neck, every second ticking away by the fizzle of the portal behind her.

And then... "Green." Before their door into the digital realm completely vanished, the digital computer on the other side reconnected them to the one in Ken's control room. This was good, very good. To think she got a C+ in computer class. "Just step through." Yolie waved her hand, watching as every feather on hawkmon's body rose like goose bumps. "U-uh..." He wasn't to sure on this.

"It changed color. It's green, like when we were at senmon's castle."

"Yeah, I know. It's the same one."

Hawkmon's jaw swung open, floating in the breeze due to astonishment. He held up one feathered finger, "H-h-how did you-?"

Yolie just tilted her head, beaming brightly towards the stupefied mon, "What?" She asked, playing the role of innocence, "You think Izzy is the only computer wiz in the group?"

Hawkmon only shook his head, the sweat droplet that had been trickling down his beak totally gone, "I never doubted you're skills." He lied so easily. Looking a little apprehensive about this, Yolie now stood right next to him in front of the new portal. The two watched the swirling color, simultaneously inhaling a calming breath. "So we just walk through? No digi-vice required?"

"Just like last time. No vice needed for his personal highway."

"Think he's going to kill us?'

"Always a possibility." They took each others hand, closing their eyes while taking that one step.

The rush quickly swept past them, the warmth spread like tiny fingers through their body until solid ground finally came under their feet again. Yolie was the first to squint her lids open, looking around, gasping at the darkness blanketing the area.

Her grip firmed around her digital partners, holding him close for support.

They were back, there was no argument about it. This was defiantly the gray, isolated home of the dark one. Yolie searched the room, expectantly for a sign of Ken, or any other living creature, some what fearful when nothing but destruction swamped her sights. The place... it was a disaster inside.

The metal chair Ken had once used was completely destroyed, and not to mention wedged half way in the wall, sticking out melted and twisted beyond repair. The computer was throwing sparks every which way, amazing both visitors that they had actually made it through that junk heap. It was like large fist's and claws ripped out the heart of the computer, tossing wires and anything else in reach around the floor.

Holes lined the walls, leading out into the hallway that, with further inspection, was just as chaotic as the control room. Had her friends already been here, or was this Ken's doing? Yolie's skin paled, thinking the psychotic rage he must have been in. And his servants... what became of them?

"Holy cow." Hawkmon whistled, pupils large in shock. Everything, from one end to the other, was ripped apart, shredded, broken, burned, shattered or all together not there anymore.

Yolie picked her jaw off the ground, stepping over rubble from the walls. "Should we call for someone?" The bird looked anxious to return to earth and get the heck out of there, yet Yolie didn't say anything for the longest time, her hand resting over her mouth.

"Go to the kitchen. It's down the stairs to the left. Third door. See if anyone's down there." Her partner was reluctant to release her hand, whimpering under his breath at the thought of her being alone. Why was it someone always wanted to split up in a dark scary place at a time like this?

"I'll be fine." Yolie beamed, patting his head to comfort him.

"What ever I find... I need to do this on my own." She didn't want to imagine the horror she would discover. What had Ken done while she was away? What nightmarish world had she stepped into, a shadow place that hid the untold hideousness from innocent eyes? Would there be an angel awaiting her at the end of the hall, or a demon?

Large amounts of black feathers lined the floor, leaving her to speculate if Ken destroyed those they belonged too in her absence. She was now officially scared shitless.

Yolie choked down a wade of spit, eyes scanning the atmosphere for any sign of danger. It was so dark, so unbelievably black, like a stain blanketing her eyes, that she stumbled over many things on her journey to Kens courtiers. It was as if the castle was falling apart, like her leaving had taken the very life out of its structure, leaving it a hollow shell to rot and decay from the inside out. Perhaps that is exactly what had happened, but not to only the castle, she distantly thought.

Slowly, and eventually, the girl felt her fingers brush up against the hard surface of the door. Those familiar doors that had once held a welcoming behind it. Gathering her wits, dispelling any memories for now, and mentally preparing herself for the inevitable, she pushed her way inside, closing her eyes until she was fully within the study.

No warmth lay inside. No crackle of the fire, no hidden smiles and harmless teasing. It was all dead. The darkness consumed everything within its grip, from the books on the shelves to the table Yolie could almost see herself sitting at, chatting away with the angel that kept her his captive, his friend, his sweet. But just as swiftly as the images appeared, it vanished into the icy fingers of night.

A clash of lightening illuminated the room for only a split second. She saw nothing at first, only the disarray of objects thrown, furniture smashed in a blind fury. Pages from books were scattered everywhere, littering the floor in a paper filled mess. This was what the rest of the castle looked like, and she had a faint idea why.

Her foot bumped into a small leather bound book, one with scratches falling over its cover. Awh, yes. She remembered this one. It was the one Ken was reading when she first served him dinner. It had terrified her at first to see the deep gashes, enough she thought that if the book were alive it would have bled to death by these horrible wounds, but now she only felt a little sorry for the cover, and the one it belonged too.

Flipping it over to read the title, Yolie squinted her eyes to make out the letters.

Another streak of lightning fell, along with the heavy pound of thunder following close behind. 'Phantom of the Opera.'

Yolie took a deep breath, brows pinched sadly. If there was one thing she knew about this book, it was the line, "Poor Erik. Poor, poor, Erik." It was the same feeling she had flowing deep within her heart, wanting her to whisper, "Poor Ken." It fit very well, leaving Yolie to wonder if there was a Raoul in her life somewhere. She never much cared for tragedies, but this one she found intriguing. A man thought to be a monster falling in love, giving a woman everything within his mortal power, only to be rejected for the first handsome face.

But in the end, she blatantly mused, she would not be a Christine. She would pick the dark one, the phantom that gave his heart and soul to the woman he loved. No rejection in the end, no tears for the man who was condemned for his face and not able to have one person see the beauty within him.

Had that been Ken's fait? Had that been in his mind as he released her?

He and Erik held much in common, but Yolie was not Christine, she refused to be! The face didn't matter to her. It was Ken she always loved, even when everyone else despised him. There was a goodness inside, buried deep, but still alive. Still small, still fragile like a baby's breath. But she would not let it extinguish so easily, this she vowed on the book she clutched.

Setting the literature down on the table, it amazed Yolie that out of all the things torn apart, this table still stood untouched. Perhaps Ken couldn't find it in his heart to demolish it. Maybe, he too, saw the images of days long ago seated there. A sharp pain jerked within her chest, tugging every heart string until she was sure they would snap from tension.

'Where are you?'

Turning around in circles, she didn't even know where to begin. Was he even here? Ken could be out destroying little towns and villages as we speak. And without that imprinting feather she had no way to call out to him, unable to reach out for that familiar touch of his mind.

Nerving her lower lip, the girl managed to squeak his name. The sound was lost to the pounding rain beyond, drowned like the rest of the things inside and out. She attempted again, louder this time. Still it barely echoed, dieing like her hope.

Lifting her feet steadily, Yolie crawled little by little to his bedroom door. It was possible he was asleep, not harming anyone, exhausted from ripping apart his dwelling. A shot in the dark, and wishful thinking she knew, but it never hurt to try, it never harmed anyone to have hope in the one being all others had given up on.

Brilliant white stretched across the room, another crash of thunder and lightening flashing before the frightened girls eyes. "Ke-?" Yolie didn't need to finish, her sights settled on the slumped figure in the sitting chair. 'Oh no. Oh God no!' Flinging herself towards the dark form, Yolie halted a step before him.

Tears nearly spilled forth, misting over until she had to blink the sorrow down. Squishing her hand to her mouth, Yolie fought a losing battle holding down the scream. She couldn't find it within her to keep silent for the thing she saw.

'Ken... why?'

He was so pale, the skin nearly a pearly glow in the darkness. It was hard to believe this was the same person she had once known, the strong, vibrant individual that had playfully mocked and teased her throughout her stay with him.

Yolie managed to find his closed eyes behind unsettled bangs, the dark rings circling around his eyes darker than before, sunken in, like a gothic vampire never knowing rest. His hair was in a mess, tattered and falling here and there carelessly, while his wings drooped lifelessly over the arms of the chair. All the fancy clothes he wore on that magical night of the ball were shredded on his body, hanging lose in the air, barely protecting him from the chill.

He was so cold, deathly so. It startled Yolie when she went to stroke his cheek, nearly feeling like she had been burned. Why did he do this? Why? Why!

Pulling some loose strands of hair from his sad face, Yolie sobbed out in grief, discovering the crusted trails of bloody tears trailing down his cheeks, staining his hands that lay motionlessly in his lap. She wanted to rub them away, the torment he must have endured once she left. If only he knew how much she loved him. Maybe that could have saved him, freed him even from this nightmare.

To late. Yolie felt she was too late.

Throwing herself in his limp arms, the girl wept into his lap, clutching what was left of the clothes he wore. She did this. She had forced him to give up completely and slowly kill himself. The salty liquid wouldn't stop coming, breaking free with no sign of stopping. It was like she was bleeding her eyes until nothing was left, not wanting to ever feel anything again after this.

A soft, tender hand began to stroke her hair. It felt so familiar, so loving that for a fleeting moment, Yolie thought that Ken had some how come back to life for her. But no... he had been dead. Why else didn't he breath, why didn't he move when she touched him? Why else was he so cold?

Sweeping her reddened chocolate orbs up, Yolie nearly chocked on her own voice when Ken's glowing eyes dimly stared back. They too were puffy, with nothing laying behind them at all. It was as if he gazed through her, as if she never existed. And then, his voice cracked from within his throat, "Y-Yo... lie.. ?"

Oh God, she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming this time. She was nearly hysterical, from the thought he was permanently gone, from being thrown out, from hearing the hardship in his tone. "I-I'm here. I'm here, Ken."

For a moment, a spark came into his sights, his brows lifted with the sharp intake of his breath. But then, as if suddenly stabbed with realization, he settled back in his chair, closing his mouth when he was about to speak. "No... " He muttered, those red tears of his building up again, "You're not real. You're not here."

He turned his head away, closing his lids again. "You're not real... Yolie would never... she's not here." He removed his hand from her violet locks, withdrawing himself from all life.

Yolie instantly clutched at his hand, trying to place some semblance of warmth into it. "No, I'm here. I'm really here, can't you feel it?"

Still he shook his head, nearly gone again, "You're just an illusion. Go away, just leave me alone. Yolie would never come back, why would she want to return to this?"

"Because Ken... "

"Get away! She doesn't want anything to do with me, she only hate's me! She could never... "

"I love you!"

A silence fell over them, Yolie dragging his limp hand to her cheek. "I love you, Ken." She whimpered, rubbing what was left of her heat into his cool flesh.

Ken brought his face back to her, fingers tracing the softness of her skin. "You... what?" His brows pinched, unbelieving of what he was hearing. "You know it's true." She whispered, nearly in his lap now, "I'm real. I won't leave you again, I promise." She wrapped her hands around his slim waist, able to feel his tears fall onto her sensitive scalp. "Don't make me leave you again."

Her plea sliced down his body, squeezing what was left of doubt from his soul. Ken held her to him like she would vanish if he let go, making little sounds you might hear from a wounded animal into her ear. She was really there, holding him, in love with him. It was the impossible come true, rekindling hope's and dreams long ago put aside. It was enough Ken felt his entire essence flare back to life, returning him to the world of the living. No more dreary grays and empty nights for his world.

Ken nudged his face into her hair, relief flooding inside, "You're here. I won't let you go, I promise I won't ever push you away." Yolie pulled back only to stare up, to refresh her memory of every beautifully carved detail in his face. She touched a finger to his lips, trying to stop them from trembling.

And like always, when she went to touch him, Ken nuzzled his head into her hand. No, this was no dream, no delusion of his tormented mind. Yolie had really returned, embracing the darkness in him. To be with him... the cursed monster. And she had promised to stay.

Yolie glanced down to his hand, peeling the fingers away to see what it was he clutched so dearly. She was shocked to find a white feather there, locked within the safety of his grasp. "Where did you... ?"

"From you." He exchanged it to her open palm, wanting his hands to be on her and not the delicate little feather. "When I freed you, it was the tattoo in you're skin."

"How did it turn white?"

Ken gave a thoughtful shrug, tilting his head much the same way she did, "You purified it."

She blushed at that deep hunger growing within his tone, and the lust engulfing his glowing stare. He leaned forward, nuzzling his nose with hers. Gently, softly, Ken brushed his lips across hers, only allowing himself a sweet taste of heaven. "Can you purify me, my sweet?"

Instead of being embarrassed and acting like a little fool, Yolie threw her arms around her love, pulling him into a deep, branding kiss, one that poured with passion and wanton promises. Ken didn't need anymore persuasion than that, clinging to her in steamy abandonment.

Lifting her up into his arms, the dark angel devoured every inch of her with silky lips, carrying the girl into his room. He may be weak, but be damned if he was going to allow fatigue get the best of him.

Setting her hesitantly on the bed, he found he could never let her go again. It may be selfish, it was possibly the very thing he was bound to end up in hell for, but he didn't possess the strength to ever release her. She had her chance to walk away, but now she was all his. She would forever be his, the angels little sweet.

Yolie thought she saw a wicked glint cross his glowing gaze, a naughty smirk lift to speak volumes as he crouched over her, following her into the cushions of the bed. "You're mine Yolie." He groaned, planting kisses along her exposed skin. "Say it again. Say you love me." Ken managed to groan out with every butterfly touch his fingers trailed along, building heat inside them both.

She wound her arms around his neck, stroking his nape, twining his hair around her tips. Bringing him down for another assault to his mouth, Yolie imprisoned his lips with hers, winding a quill tighter in her gut. The pleasure was intense, devouring her innards as it did to the starved angel.

Ken now blanked her body with his, pushing her down into the folds of the comforter. It was the greatest sensation Yolie had ever experienced, to be held by the one you truly loved.

"I'd rather make you say it to me." The girl grinned impishly, nibbling on his jaw line until her tongue made its way to stroke the bottom of his ear wings. Ken moaned under his breath, unable to take the sweet torture for much longer.

And before the night was finished, she did.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hawkmon sat in the kitchen, with wormmon right next to him. They both held cups of tea, chatting about the good ole days when things were less complicated and their partners didn't have hormones to control them. "I don't mind that Ken and Yolie stay together, but good grief will they just get it over with and admit their feelings already. It's driving me batty."

Wormmon nodded, ready to grumble some more on the subject, until soft echoes carried down to the kitchen, "Oh Ken... "

The two digimon's eyes nearly popped out, fat sweat droplets trickling down every inch of their body. Looking to each other, and unable to form any kind of response what they just heard, both took large swigs of the tea, choking it down to keep from saying the obvious of what they KNEW was going on upstairs.

"You have any alcohol we can put in this drink?"

"Way ahead of you." Wormmon grabbed the jug of liquor, while cocomon stared on blankly. "What? What's going on up there? Maybe I should go have a peek-"

"NO!" Both male's shouted, feeling embarrassed and edgy. Hawkmon merely coughed into his hand, taking a swig from the jug. "I think it's best they work things out on their own."

"But all that noise... it sounds like their fighting."

Wormmon shook his head, having that expression why-is-she-so-stupid on his green little face.

"Their just... uh... wrestling." Wormmon told her.

"Wrestling?"

"Yeah. Couples do it all the time."

Cocomon thought on this, her finger tapping her brown little chin. Then she stood, a girlish glee sweeping across her features, "Wormmon, lets wrestle."

The bug nearly dropped his cup, looking on at the approaching bunny. She had that wild glint in her eyes, the one he knew this was going to be painful. "N-no... cocomon... I-I... be gentle!"

Hawkmon just scooted away, still taking drinks from the jug. He wasn't going to help that bug slither out of his relationship, strange as it may be, with that crazy female. Now all's he had to do, while tuning out wormmon's plea's for help, was to try to ignore Yolie's sounds of love making.

Boy this made him feel uncomfortable. 'Hope they have protection.'


End file.
